the　campaigns　you　mention；　moreover；　you　are　my　sworn
  and　tried　comrade。〃
  〃All　this　sounds　well；　so　far　as　you　and　I　are　consarned；
  but　they　do　not　touch　the　case　of　your　pretty　daughter。
  She　may　think　these　very　campaigns　have　destroyed　the
  little　comeliness　I　may　once　have　had；　and　I　am　not　quite
  sartain　that　being　an　old　friend　of　her　father　would　lead
  any　young　maiden's　mind　into　a　particular　affection　for　a
  suitor。　　Like　loves　like；　I　tell　you；　Sergeant；　and　my　gifts
  are　not　altogether　the　gifts　of　Mabel　Dunham。〃
  〃These　are　some　of　your　old　modest　qualms；　Pathfinder；
  and　will　do　you　no　credit　with　the　girl。　　Women　distrust
  men　who　distrust　themselves；　and　take　to　men　who　dis…
  trust　nothing。　Modesty　is　a　capital　thing　in　a　recruit；　I
  grant　you；　or　in　a　young　subaltern　who　has　just　joined；
  for　it　prevents　his　railing　at　the　non…commissioned　officers
  before　he　knows　what　to　rail　at；　I'm　not　sure　it　is　out　of
  place　in　a　commissary　or　a　parson；　but　it's　the　devil　and
  all　when　it　gets　possession　of　a　real　soldier　or　a　lover。
  Have　as　little　to　do　with　it　as　possible；　if　you　would　win　a
  woman's　heart。　　As　for　your　doctrine　that　like　loves　like；
  it　is　as　wrong　as　possible　in　matters　of　this　sort。　　If　like
  loved　like；　women　would　love　one　another；　and　men　also。
  No；　no；　like　loves　dislike；〃　　the　Sergeant　was　merely　a
  scholar　of　the　camp；　　〃and　you　have　nothing　to　fear　from
  Mabel　on　that　score。　　Look　at　Lieutenant　Muir；　the　man
  has　had　five　wives　already；　they　tell　me；　and　there　is　no
  more　modesty　in　him　than　there　is　in　a　cat…o'…nine…tails。〃
  〃Lieutenant　Muir　will　never　be　the　husband　of　Mabel
  Dunham；　let　him　ruffle　his　feathers　as　much　as　he　may。〃
  〃That　is　a　sensible　remark　of　yours；　Pathfinder；　for　my
  mind　is　made　up　that　you　shall　be　my　son…in…law。　　If　I
  were　an　officer　myself；　Mr。　Muir　might　have　some　chance；
  but　time　has　placed　one　door　between　my　child　and　myself；
  and　I　don't　intend　there　shall　be　that　of　a　marquee　also。〃
  〃Sergeant；　we　must　let　Mabel　follow　her　own　fancy；　she
  is　young　and　light　of　heart；　and　God　forbid　that　any　wish
  of　mine　should　lay　the　weight　of　a　feather　on　a　mind　that
  is　all　gaiety　now；　or　take　one　note　of　happiness　from　her
  laughter！〃
  〃Have　you　conversed　freely　with　the　girl？〃　the　Sergeant
  demanded　quickly；　and　with　some　asperity　of　manner。
  Pathfinder　was　too　honest　to　deny　a　truth　plain　as　that
  which　the　answer　required；　and　yet　too　honorable　to　betray
  Mabel；　and　expose　her　to　the　resentment　of　one　whom　he
  well　knew　to　be　stern　in　his　anger。
  〃We　have　laid　open　our　minds；〃　he　said；　〃and　though
  Mabel's　is　one　that　any　man　might　love　to　look　at；　I　find
  little　there；　Sergeant；　to　make　me　think　any　better　of　my…
  self。〃
  〃The　girl　has　not　dared　to　refuse　you　　to　refuse　her
  father's　best　friend？〃
  Pathfinder　turned　his　face　away　to　conceal　the　look　of
  anguish　that　consciousness　told　him　was　passing　athwart
  it；　but　he　continued　the　discourse　in　his　own　quiet；　manly
  tones。
  〃Mabel　is　too　kind　to　refuse　anything；　or　to　utter　harsh
  words　to　a　dog。　　I　have　not　put　the　question　in　a　way　to
  be　downright　refused；　Sergeant。〃
  〃And　did　you　expect　my　daughter　to　jump　into　your
  arms　before　you　asked　her？　　She　would　not　have　been　her
  mother's　child　had　she　done　any　such　thing；　nor　do　I　think
  she　would　have　been　mine。　　The　Dunhams　like　plain
  dealing　as　well　as　the　king's　majesty；　but　they　are　no
  jumpers。　　Leave　me　to　manage　this　matter　for　you；　Path…
  finder；　and　there　shall　be　no　unnecessary　delay。　　I'll　speak
  to　Mabel　myself　this　very　evening；　using　your　name　as
  principal　in　the　affair。〃
  〃I'd　rather　not；　I'd　rather　not；　Sergeant。　　Leave　the
  matter　to　Mabel　and　me；　and　I　think　all　will　come　right　in
  the　ind。　　Young　girls　are　like　timorsome　birds；　they　do
  not　over…relish　being　hurried　or　spoken　harshly　to　nither。
  Leave　the　matter　to　Mabel　and　me。〃
  〃On　one　condition　I　will；　my　friend；　and　that　is；　that
  you　will　promise　me；　on　the　honor　of　a　scout；　that　you　will
  put　the　matter　plainly　to　Mabel　the　first　suitable　oppor…
  tunity；　and　no　mincing　of　words。〃
  〃I　will　ask　her；　Sergeant；　on　condition　that　you　promise
  not　to　meddle　in　the　affair　　yes；　I　will　promise　to　ask
  Mabel　whether　she　will　marry　me；　even　though　she　laugh
  in　my　face　at　my　doing　so；　on　that　condition。〃
  Sergeant　Dunham　gave　the　desired　promise　very　cheer…
  fully；　for　he　had　completely　wrought　himself　up　into　the
  belief　that　the　man　he　so　much　esteemed　himself　must　be
  acceptable　to　his　daughter。　　He　had　married　a　woman
  much　younger　than　himself；　and　he　saw　no　unfitness　in　the
  respective　years　of　the　intended　couple。　　Mabel　was　edu…
  cated　so　much　above　him；　too；　that　he　was　not　aware　of
  the　difference　which　actually　existed　between　the　parent
  and　child　in　this　respect。　　It　followed　that　Sergeant　Dun…
  ham　was　not　altogether　qualified　to　appreciate　his　daugh…
  ter's　tastes；　or　to　form　a　very　probable　conjecture　what
  would　be　the　direction　taken　by　those　feelings　which
  oftener　depend　on　impulses　and　passion　than　on　reason。
  Still；　the　worthy　soldier　was　not　so　wrong　in　his　estimate
  of　the　Pathfinder's　chances　as　might　at　first　appear。　　Know…
  ing　all　the　sterling　qualities　of　the　man；　his　truth；　integ…
  rity　of　purpose；　courage；　self…devotion；　disinterestedness；
  it　was　far　from　unreasonable　to　suppose　that　qualities　like
  these　would　produce　a　deep　impression　on　any　female　heart；
  and　the　father　erred　principally　in　fancying　that　the
  daughter　might　know　as　it　might　be　by　intuition　what　he
  himself　had　acquired　by　years　of　intercourse　and　adventure。
  As　Pathfinder　and　his　military　friend　descended　the　hill
  to　the　shore　of　the　lake；　the　discourse　did　not　flag。　　The
  latter　continued　to　persuade　the　former　that　his　diffidence
  alone　prevented　complete　success　with　Mabel；　and　that　he
  had　only　to　persevere　in　order　to　prevail。　　Pathfinder　was
  much　too　modest　by　nature；　and　had　been　too　plainly；
  though　so　delicately；　discouraged　in　the　recent　interview
  to　believe　all　he　heard；　still　the　father　used　so　many　argu…
  inents　which　seemed　plausible；　and　it　was　so　grateful　to
  fancy　that　the　daughter　might　yet　be　his；　that　the　reader
  is　not　to　be　surprised　when　he　is　told　that　this　unsophis…
  ticated　being　did　not　view　Mabel's　recent　conduct　in　pre…
  cisely　the　light　in　which　he　may　be　inclined　to　view　it
  himself。　　He　did　not　credit　all　that　the　Sergeant　told　him；
  it　is　true；　but　he　began　to　think　virgin　coyness　and　igno…
  rance　of　her　own　feelings　might　have　induced　Mabel　to
  use　the　language　she　had。
  〃The　Quartermaster　is　no　favorite；〃　said　Pathfinder　in
  answer　to　one　of　his　companion's　remarks。　　〃Mabel　will
  never　look　on　him　as　more　than　one　who　has　had　four　or
  five　wives　already。〃
  〃Which　is　more　than　his　share。　　A　man　may　marry
  twice　without　offence　to　good　morals　and　decency；　I　allow！
  but　four　times　is　an　aggravation。〃
  〃I　should　think　even　marrying　once　what　Master　Cap
  calls　a　circumstance；〃　put　in　Pathfinder；　laughing　in　his
  quiet　way；　for　by　this　time　his　spirits　had　recovered　some
  of　their　buoyancy。
  〃It　is；　indeed；　my　friend；　and　a　most　solemn　circum…
  stance　too。　　If　it　were　not　that　Mabel　is　to　be　your　wife；
  I　would　advise　you　to　remain　single。　　But　here　is　the　girl
  herself；　and　discretion　is　the　word。〃
  〃Ah's　me；　Sergeant；　I　fear　you　are　mistaken！〃
  CHAPTER　XIX。
  Thus　was　this　place
  A　happy　rural　seat　of　various　view。
  MILTON。
  Mabel　was　in　waiting　on　the　beach；　and　the　canoe　was
  soon　launched。　　Pathfinder　carried　the　party　out　through
  the　surf　in　the　same　skillful　manner　that　he　had　brought
  it　in；　and　though　Mabel's　color　heightened　with　excite…
  ment；　and　her　heart　seemed　often　ready　to　leap　out　of　her
  mouth　again；　they　reached　the　side　of　the　_Scud_　without
  having　received　even　a　drop　of　spray。
  Ontario　is　like　a　quick…tempered　man；　sudden　to　be　an…
  gered；　and　as　soon　appeased。　　The　sea　had　already　fallen；
  and　though　the　breakers　bounded　the　shore；　far　as　the　eye
  could　reach；　it　was　merely　in　lines　of　brightness；　that　ap…
  peared　and　vanished　like　the　returning　waves　produced　by
  a　stone　which　had　been　dropped　into　a　pool。　　The　cable
  of　the　_Scud_　was　scarcely　seen　above　the　water；　and　Jasper
  had　already　hoisted　his　sails；　in　readiness　to　depart　as　soon
  as　the　expected　breeze　from　the　shore　should　fill　the　can…
  vas。
  It　was　just　sunset　as　the　cutter's　mainsail　flapped　and
  its　stem　began　to　sever　the　water。　　The　air　was　light　and
  southerly；　and　the　head　of　the　vessel　was　kept　looking　up
  along　the　south　shore；　it　being　the　intention　to　get　to　the
  eastward　again　as　fast　as　possible。　　The　night　that　suc…
  ceeded　was　quiet；　and　the　rest　of　those　who　slept　deep　and
  tranquil。
  Some　difficulty　occurred　concerning　the　command　of
  the　vessel；　but　the　matter　had　been　finally　settled　by　an
  amicable　compromise。　　As　the　distrust　of　Jasper　was　far
  from　being　appeased；　Cap　retained　a　supervisory　power；
  while　the　young　man　was　allowed　to　work　the　craft；　sub…
  ject；　at　all　times；　to　the　control　and　interference　of　the　old
  seaman。　　To　this　Jasper　consented；　in　preference　to　ex…
  posing　Mabel　any　longer　to　tbe　dangers　of　their　present
  situation；　for；　now　that　the　violence　of　the　elements　had
  ceased；　he　well　k