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A FIRST APPEAL. 27impaired her faculties so far, had dulled herclear understanding so far, that the proportionsof the dangers in her path had changed places,and the first and greatest clanger was thisstranger — this beautiful, dreadful woman. Inthatdirection was the terrible impotence, the helplesshorror of weakness, which is the worst attributeof human suffering; in every other, there yvasthe power to exercise her faculties, to rally herpresence of mind, to call on her fertility of resource,to act for and with him.With him ather side, and in his cause, Harriet was consciouslystrong; but from a trouble in which he shouldbe arrayed against her, in which he should beher enemy, she shrank, like a leaf from theshrivelling touch of fire.She was standing by his side as she askedhim the question, in the familiar attitude whichshe had discarded of late. Her composed figureand pale calm face, the small firm white hand,wliich touched his shoulder with the steady touchhe knew so well, the piercing clear blue eyes,all had the old promise in them, of help thathad never failed, of counsel that had never mis-