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THE CORAL RING. 211 
" You know that Fashion, which makes so 
many wrong turns, and so many absurd ones, has 
at last made one right one, and it is now a fash- 
ionable thing to sign the temperance pledge. El- 
liot himself would be glad to do it, but he foolish- 
ly committed himself against it in the outset, and 
now feels bound to stand to his opinion. He has, 
too, been rather rudely assailed by some of the 
apostles of the new state of things, who did not 
understand the peculiar points of his character ; in 
short, I am afraid that he will feel bound to go to 
destruction for the sake of supporting his own 
opinion. Now, if I should undertake with him, 
he might shoot me ; but I hardly think there is 
any thing of the sort to be apprehended in your 
case. Just try your enchantments ; you have be- 
witched wise men into doing foolish things before 
now ; try, now, if you can't bewitch a foolish man 
into doing a wise thing." 
Florence smiled archly, but instantly grew more 
thoughtful. 
'^ Well, cousin," she said, " I will try. Though 
you are liberal in your ascriptions of power, yet I 
can put th.e matter to the test of experiment." 
Florence Elmore was, at the time we speak of, 
in her twentieth year. Born in one of the wealth- 
iest families in , highly educated and ac- 
complished, idolized by her parents and brothers, 
she had entered the world as one born to com- 
mand. With much native nobleness and mag- 
