Year: 1867

Dut you nave not tOlq me yet
Cyrllla, what incident the picture is
intended to represent"


" 1t is intended to illustrate the
story of Ginevra,' as told in Rogers
Italy, l dare say you recollect the
poem in question ?"


80 yes | remember all about
francesca Doria and his youthful
bride ; and how the latter hid him.
self in All old chest on her wedding
day, and was smothered, and her
body not found for ever so many
years afterwards"


That is jdst the point-where
Ginevra is about to hide herself
that Theodore is trying to illustrate.
| have sat to him | don't know how
many times already"


And very good likeness it is of
you, my dear And the chest in
which she is about to hide herself is
painted from that real chest in the
corner there 1t looks hundreds OF
years old. Dear, dear ! it's quite
wonderful But l thought painters
always invented such things out of
their own heads" >


The speakers were aunt and niece
the latter fair and slender girl of
twenty, with a singularly youthful
expression of face for one who was
both a wife and mother. The time
was halfpast nine on certain au-
tumn evening some half dozen
years ago and the place was a
pleasant home-like room in a small
villa in one of the westerly suburbs
of London.


1.-The mention of those Italian
names, Cyrilla," said Mrs Reese
presently, puts me in mind of an
old admirer of yours, Signor Pietro
Fastini. By the by, do you know
where he now is Z"


No. Where ?" said Cyrilla quick
ly.


In a luuatic asylum. He went
crazy about a year ago, and has
been under restraint ever since. |
don't think you treated him well, Cy-
riIla, to encourage his attentions, and
then to cast him of in the way You
did


Cyrilla's cheek paled suddenly ;
she sank into chair, and did not
speak for minute or two. You
have been mIsinformed, aunt" she
said at last. Signor Fastini never
received the slightest encouragement
from me. | was attracted towards
him by his great musical talent but
it was his own presumption that
drew him on to speak to me as he
did. Nevertheless, am truly griev-
ID to hear of the affiIction that has
overtaken him"


Cyrilla sat thinking deeply for
some time after her aunt's departure;
going, in memory, through all those
phases of her lite in which the young
Italian had been an actor. Her re-
verie was brought to an end by the
clock on the mantle piece Ginning
eleven.


She got up from her seat with a
little sigh, aud went into her dress
ing room, which opened out of the
room in which she had been sitting,
and bathed her hands and face and
changed her evening dress for a com
Portable white wrapper and un
bound her yellow hair, letting it fall
in rich sheaf down her shoulders
for Theodore had gone out tonight
to a supper-party given by brother
artist who was about to enter the
holy state of matrimony, and she had
promised TO sit up for him and The
odore, on his part, had promised tc
be home soon after midnight.
Going back into the sitting-room
Cyrilla rang the bell, and presently
nurse came in with baby, who, being
a well behaved young gentleman
was happily fast asleep at this late
hour. He was deposited il pretty
little cot close by his mothers side
You can go to bed, nurse, and th'
other servants can do the same,
said Mrs. Thornhurst. a will sit W
for master myself. See that the doors
and windows are al fastened before
you go up stairs"


When the woman was gone, Cyril
la stirred up the low fire on the
hearth into fitful blaze, and theI
took up the first volume Of move
which had been brought her that al
ternoou from the library. Theodor,
would b. home in an hour at the fur
thest, and the time would pass plea
sanity and quickly away.