"I wish I could be certain of can settle it one way or the other, that," returned the eider brother, I hardly know what I am about. somewhat, wistfully. "Until I But come; we must go and dress. CHAPTER VII. That evening Cicely brought up the repentant Dick to Jack, and under her powerful protection his pardon was of course assured. At first, however, Woolcombe did not feel much inclined to be lenient. "You see, Cicely, it's not me who has to be considered-it is Miss Raymond," he added, stiffly. "She has, I assure you, quite forgiven him," replied his sister, eagerly. "Now do be good-natured. Dick did a silly thing, but"-in a lower tone-"he is only a boy, Jack, and you must make excuses.' "All right," said Jack, all his bad humour vanishing, and goodtemperedly giving Dick a slight shake, with his hands on the lad's shoulder; "we'll say no more about it. But you will allow me to remark that such very personal jokes are not always pleasant to the victims." "Yes, it was wrong," allowed Dick, somewhat abashed. "I didn't stop to think, but really I meant no harm." "I really do not think so. I should say to the contrary." "Well, you ought to know best I trust you are right," he doubtfully put in. "The rest remains with you." "What rest?" he asked. "Until you ask her whether she cares for you, she can't very well decide one way or the other." "It's easy-well, I don't know about that "What is easy ?" "I was going to say, to offer. Man proposes, and the lady sometimes objects." "I think you need not be cast "He either fears his fate too much, "Of course you didn't. And 66 Of course," replied Dick, with a gleam of fun in his eye. And he made himself scarce, glad to get so well out of the difficulty. "He is incorrigible," said Jack, laughing in spite of himself. "It's very nice of you to be so good-natured, Jack. I hope he has done no mischief. She is such a dear, sweet girl," she added, gently. "It's just possible he may have done a very great deal," was her brother's moody reply. "See!" said his sister, quickly; "now's your opportunity. She has gone into the library for a I'll take care no one comes in." book. Go and plead with her now. "What a dear girl you are! It's a chance I may not have again." "Come!" drawing him to her. "All good fortune attend you." Brother and sister leisurely walked across the room; and Cicely turned at the library, which led out of the drawing room, and closed the door. Minory had not heard Jack "You are come to help me to her find—” "No. I came to ask you to help me;" and he hesitated. "Command me, Sir Knight; what can I do?" she said, with a poor attempt at unconcern. "Darling, I cannot keep it to myself." He was now standing close to her, eagerly taking her two hands in his, where they remained trembling in his firm grasp. "I love you, sweet Minory, with all my heart. It went out to you from the first moment I saw you.' "Really and truly?" shyly looking at him. 66 Most really and most truly. Oh, sweet heart, say you will be my wife!" bending down as he pleaded towards her, as if to give emphasis to his entreaty. She did not answer in words; but the soft and happy glance from her true and tender eyes assured him the victory was won; and he held his prize in his arms. two hands rested on his shoulders. "Thank God, that can't be now! Why, I should not love you any better then.” "What a shocking confession!" "Not a bit of it; for I can't possibly love you any better than I do now." 66 mit" 'Well, I suppose I must submaking a pretty little moue. "Of course you must. There's no help for it. It's only what was to be. It was fortold in the old rhyme. I'll tell you a story Of Jack and Minory, And now our story has begun. I "Dear Jack—" she hesitated. "Yes, you must call me by my name. Tell me in words that you care for me." "What are words?" she gravely replied. "But if you wish, I will. I love you," she simply said, holding up her mouth to be kissed. "Will that content you?" What need to record any answer? And here we may bid adieu to the two who have vowed to be all in all to each other along life's dusty pilgrimage, which indeed were but a sorrowful passage were it not lighted up by the faith of man and the love of woman. "LEAD, KINDLY LIGHT," LATINE REDDITUM. "Tu nocte vel atrâ Lumen, et in solis Tu mihi turba locis." -ALBII TIBULLI, Eleg. IV. xiii, 11, 12. ALMA Luce semper duce, Adsis comes, fautor, Deus! Nox rigrescit; via crescit; Adsis tamen, fautor meus. Pro amore Tuo rege pedes meas, Tuâ lege: Sicut olim esse nolim, Cum nec amor eras meus: Nunc casurus, sum dicturis,— Adsis semper, fautor, deus!" Tunc amabam mundi lumen, male timens Tuum Numen: Semper Cruce viæ duce, Sis per dura fautor, Deus! Donec, duce Tecum, luce Plenâ surgat dies meus, Qualis præbeat redemptas formas Morte jam peremptas, Cœlitum subrisu gratas,-olim, heu! desideratas. J. M. P. 1 IN THE HEART AMONG those countries that have been most niggard in exposing themselves to foreign observation, Afghanistan has always held a first place. Not less exclusive than the Tibetans, and as suspicious of the intrusion of foreigners as the Chinese, the Afghans have succeeded in closing their frontiers against the ordinary traveller, and in frustrating attempts to obtain a closer intimacy with themselves and their country. It is only when some international difficulty arises, resulting in an embassy, a boundary commission or a campaign, that Afghanistan and the Afghans are brought under the eye of the stranger. It may seem strange that, considering the intercourse which the Government of India has carried on with the rulers of Cabul since the days of Zemaun Shah, and the embassies and commissions which have been sent across the north-west frontier, not to speak of the four campaigns we have carried on inside the country, we should still know so little about the greater part of the Afghan territory. This defect, however, is easily explained. The Afghans have always taken good care that neither our envoys nor our boundary commissioners should be allowed to spy out the nakedness of the land any further than was necessary for the accomplishment of the task which they had in hand; and soldiers on the march, in bivouac or in the field, have something more important to think of than of taking topographical and ethnological notes. Moreover, the OF AFGHANISTAN. Government of India has always, to avoid complications and responsibility, done its best to discourage Englishmen from seeking to penetrate beyond the frontier, even when it has not explicitly forbidden them to intrude on the Ameer's territory. These are the reasons that have hitherto prevented us from having good and thorough descriptions of the interior of the Afghan territory. When he looks over the information available about the country that has been gathered at first hand, the reader will not take long to exhaust it. Elphinstone's Cabul,' though written sixty years ago, is still a valuable though limited record. Vigne gave both a graphic and accurate description of the districts through which he travelled, but his stops were confined to the Kandahar country, and the valleys lying by the Ghuzni road to Cabul. Ferrier traversed a considerable portion of Western Afghanistan and of the regions which the operations of the Boundary Commission have recently made us familiar with, and his book is still of some political and geographical value. Coming nearer our own time, Bellew and Goldsmid have both contributed interesting though partial details to the sum of our information; but the circumstances under which both of these officers visited the country were unfavourable to the acquisition of general information. Among the crowd of books which the late Afghan campaigns called forth, few served other purpose England and Russia Face to Face in Asia. dary Commission. By Lieutenant A. C. Yates, Blackwood & Sons, Edinburgh and London: 1887. Travels with the Afghan BounBombay Staff Corps. William He than to gratify the demand of the last section; and it is on his lethour, and the most noteworthy of ters sent to the 'Pioneer,' a leadthese have not been made available ing Anglo-Indian journal, and to for English readers. Grodekoff's the Daily Telegraph,' that the account of General Stolietoff's im- book now before us has been based. prudent mission to Ameer Shere Mr Yate's first duty was accordAli is a reliable and intelligent ingly to make use of his eyes—alsurvey of the routes followed by though we not unfrequently find the Russian envoy and his officers, him pressed into the service when though his views of the feelings of there was work to be done and too the Afghan and Turkoman clans few officers to accomplish it; and towards Cabul rule and the Brit- his narrative of the travels of the ish alliance must be taken with all Commission bears excellent testidue reservations. Even the best mony to his competence as an obreview of the late wars that we server as well as to his indefatihave met with comes from a foreign gability as an investigator. critic, M. G. le Marchand, whose has given us minute as well as 'Campagne' and 'Deuxième Cam- full descriptions of the country pagne des Anglais dans l'Afghan- through which the Commission istan' do not seem to have at passed; he has made us acquainted tracted sufficient attention among with the character and habits of military circles in this country to tribes, regarding whom we preinvite a translator. viously knew little more than the name; and he has discussed the military and political contingencies connected with the future of Afghanistan so frankly that there can no longer be any excuse for the bewilderment and uncertainty with which we have hitherto been wont to regard the progress of events on the Ameer's north-western frontier. The last contribution to our acquaintance with Afghanistan and the Afghans is in every respect the most important that has appeared since the works of Vigne and Ferrier, and opens up to the light of western day some of the hitherto most obscure corners of the Ameer's territory. Important as was the immediate object of the Afghan Frontier Commissionthe most important step that has yet been taken in the Central Asian question-the indirect results of its march through the heart of Afghanistan were not less serviceable. In addition to the officers who were charged with military and political functions, it was accompanied by others who were specially detailed for the work of exploration and survey, and for archælogical and scientific examination, and by a few "specials" whose task was to see everything that could be seen, and to note every fact that might be of present or future interest. Lieutenant Yate belonged to this The Commission had indeed facilities for acquiring information which no individual or body of Europeans ever previously enjoyed. They carried with them the goodwill of the Ameer; they received assistance from his representatives not always, however, to the extent they had a right to expect ; and as they were paying their way in the princely fashion which is characteristic of the "Sirkar Angrezi" when dealing with all except its own officials, they were welcomed by all classes of the Afghans with whom they came in contact. Along the line of march officers were constantly scouting out, exploring, surveying, map |