Year: 1869

arms as a Garibaldian, and had been shot
without mercy. Poor little weeping Eng
lish girl when first she learned that her
husband was with the Garibaldians, she
had fled from her Italian home in the hope
of Joining him; but her escort had
proved either stupid or faithless, and had
conducted her to Milan, instead of taking
her to one of the towns nearer Rome. She
kew friend of the Superior of the religi-
Gus house to which her guide led her, and
she soon arranged to stay there till she could
learn definitely where her husband might
be found But within these quiet walls
news came long after it was known else
where, and before any public rumor of
open strife had reached the convent, q
friendly letter had told her husbands fate
Now PROSTATE before crucifix in her
plain, whitewashed room, her eyes stream
ing with the tears caused by the open let
ter beside her, she was taking farewell of
the outer world, and all its pomps and
pleasures, and yOwing herself in thought
to dwell forever in the quiet, merciful
home she lad found with the good Sis
tiers. She took up the letter again, and
read it carefully; it was written in wo-
mans hand, and it was signed "Giulia."


This time the tears did not gush forth
with the same uncomfortable violence;
she rose up from her knees and stood
thinking.


81 will do nothing hastily" she said.
"He and a long, shuddering sigh burst
through her words" always told me not
to act on impulse, and l will obey him
now. will wait a little, till these tidings
can be confirmed by some outward proof
and then-well, if am alive then," and
sobs burst forth unrestrainedly, "I will
ask the Superior to admit me into the Sis
terhOOd."


1t was just such an evening as that on
which we last saw Gilbert StrettOn. The
light was not quite the same; the foliage
of the clinging vines had changed to
glorious tints of orange and crimson,
FURNISHED now into almost metallic radi-
ance as the late intense sunlight touched
them; in all ways the year was some
weeks older, but to Marchesa it seemed as
younger; her beauty had lost the stat
uesque paleness that it had possessed on
her visit to the Villa BurcanO; life and
love danced in every look and movement.


She had been sitting in the verandah,
waiting for Gilbert He always sat there
with her in the evening, and she had no.
ticea joyfully that for more than a week
he had not spoken Of Lillian. She could
hear her heart beating as he came through
the entrance into the sdLd which ran along
the back of the house. l have said before
that 1t fronted the garden and the terrace
overhanging the shore.


Mr.. Stretton's step sounded less weary
than usual, and Giulia saw almost the old
light in his eyes.


She had looked in his face with warm
welcome glowing in her own; but his first
words stupefied her-seemed to make her
heart stand still with sudden terror.


"Going to England" Had she heard
him rightlys She pushed back her hair
with both hands and gazed strainingly at
him as if she would reach the truth.
Something of consciousness in his face
puzzled her. "Ahr and the sudden
thought came, " he is trying me-he is not
sure of my love-" and with the thought,
the horrible agony of losing him from any
mistake-any want of Openness between
them-thc life blood went scorching
through her veins like lava.


"To England Ito leave me-oh Mr..
Stretton! Gilbert-you could not be so
cruell"


She had thrown herself on her knees
before he could restrain her, her beautiful
arms, from which the muslin sleeves fell
back, raised toward him.


He bent over her, and tried to raise her
and sOothe her; but she would not rise,
would not listen; she only repeated, her
hands now holding his, that if he left her
there was nothing for her to do in the
world but to die of his cruelty.


He did not known how to answer her
He reprOached himself now for the mis-
take into which he saw he had led her,
and as he looked down on this exquisite
woman keeling before him in such utter
shame and selfabandOnment, for a mo-
ment he asked himself if it would be i'm
possible to return, in some measure, the
love she had betrayed for him.


And yet it was a relief to be prevented
from answering, to hear quick footsteps
approaching, coming nearer and nearer
so near now that Giulia was forced to ac-
knowledge their presence, and to rise to
her feet.


AS she arose she face the garden inter
posing herself between Strctton and the
front of the verandah. She saw several
persons coming up from the water terrace
and something irresistible seemed to fasci
nate her eyes on their movements. She
saw one small, slight figure sign to the
rest to stop and then turn round hastily
toward the villa.


The light was fading every instant; but
as this figure-a wOman-resched the foot
of the steps, her face was raised toward
the verandah and Giulia recognized it.


For an instant the Marchesa looked
round desperately, as we do in danger for
a weapon to rid us of something whose
presence we fear; then she swiftly passed
Gilbert and was out of The sdtd before he
had aroused from the surprise her
strange change of manner had caused him.


But when he reused, it was not to think
of Giulia. He heard his name called in
voice that quivered through him with a
joyful terror. for it was Lilian's and then,
when she had called his name twice or
thrice, 80 as to assure him of her presence,
Lilian's arms were round his neck, Lilian's
lips were pressed to his, aud he held her
30 impalpable vision of his imagination,
but warm with love and hope and thrilling
with hsppiness-a real Lillian in his arms!


1t took some time to make Gilbert under
stand the fraud that had been practiced,
for Lillian was too full of happiness to
vouchsafe any coherent explanation of her
sudden appearance but little by little, and
with the assistance of the friends who had
accompanied her, he learned all How
Just week ago. On the very day when
Lillian had at length resolved to make her
request to be received as probltioner to
the Superior Of the Milanese convent, she
had been summoned to the parlor to see
visitors. These were two English ladies,
her aunt and her cousin, who had recog-
nized her at vespers In the convent chapel
on the previous evening. From them


.1G l.