And being answered in the affirmative, and informed that his sister was prepared to receive him, Justin cordially thanked Mr. Sales for his kind offices. The clergyman would willingly have detained Mr. Rosenthal, and made a lion of him for the evening. But Justin excused himself upon the ground of his great impatience to meet his sister. And so Mr. Sales, with many expressions of amazement and thankfulness that Justin and his companions should have been so providentially preserved and happily restored to their friends, suffered him to depart. Justin gave the order to drive to the parsonage, and then threw himself back on his cushions. Ah! who can imagine the emotions with which, after so long an absence, he drew near his father’s house? As in a dream, he saw the lights of the shops whirl past each side, as his carriage rolled through the streets. In a dream he perceived that it stopped before the gate of his old home. In a dream, he found himself going up the shaded walk, standing under the vine-wreathed portico, ringing the bell, and entering the door. Still in a dream, he found himself in a lighted drawing-room, and saw before him his sister Erminie, dressed as he had never seen her in his waking hours—in the deepest mourning. With a great cry: “My brother! Oh, my brother!” she ran to him and threw herself upon his bosom. And then he awoke! He clasped her closely to his heart. And they wept in each other’s arms. Erminie was the first to recover herself. She lifted her head from his bosom and murmured the question: “You know, my brother, you know that—that——” her voice again broke down into sobs. “I know all, sweet sister, all!” he answered, tenderly caressing her. “He died—as he wished to die—cheering on his men to the charge!—to that gallant charge which, for the time being, turned the tide of battle and almost redeemed the day, even on that fatal field of Manassas!” she sobbed. “He died a hero’s death; he fills a hero’s grave; he leaves to all posterity a hero’s name!” murmured Justin, lovingly soothing her. “On, Justin, I think, had there been many leaders like him in our army that day, the defeat had been a victory.” * * * * * With the departure of the shipwrecked lovers from the deserted island, that had been their refuge for so long a time, closed the most singular phase in their lives. With their arrival in their native country to find it in the horrors of civil war, commences for them a career of activity and adventures full “Of moving accidents by field and flood, Of hair breadth ’scapes i’ th’ imminent deadly breach, Of being taken by the insolent foe——” All of which, together with the after fate of all the persons mentioned here, is told in the sequel to this story—“How He Won Her.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------