n Italy," said he, yawning; "or
only in the day-time. So that we are in training already, Julia."

"How I hope the match may come off," said she, as she gave him her hand
at parting. "I 'll go and dream over it."

CHAPTER XXII. IN THE LIBRARY AT CASTELLO.

When L'Estrange and his sister arrived at Castello, on the morning after
the scene of our last chapter, it was to discover that the family had
gone off early to visit the mine of Lisconnor, where they were to dine,
and not return till late in the evening.

Colonel Bramleigh alone remained behind. A number of important letters
which had come by that morning's post detained him; but he had pledged
himself to follow the party, and join them at dinner, if he could finish
his correspondence in time.

George and Julia turned away from the door, and were slowly retracing
their road homeward, when a servant came running after them to say that
Colonel Bramleigh begged Mr. L'Estrange would come back for a moment;
that he had something of consequence to say to him.

"I'll stroll about the shrubberies, George, till you join me," said
Julia. "Who knows it may not be a farewell look I may be taking of these
dear old scenes."

George nodded, half mournfully, and followed the servant towards the
library.

In his ordinary and every-day look, no man ever seemed a more perfect
representative of worldly success and prosperity than Colonel Bramleigh.
He was personally what would be called handsome, had a high bold
forehead, and large gray eyes, well set and shaded by strong full
eyebrows, so regular in outline and so correctly defined as to give a
half-suspicion that art had been called to the assistance of nature.
He was ruddy and fresh-looking, with an erect carriage, and that air
of general confidence that seemed to declare he knew himself to be a
favorite of fortune, and gloried in the distinction.

"I can do scores of things others must not venture upon," was a common
saying of his. "I can trust to my luck," was almost a maxim with him.
And in reality, if the boast was somewhat vainglorious, it was not
without foundation; a marvellous, almost unerring, success attended him
through life. Enterprises that were menaced with ruin and bankruptcy
would rally from the hour that he joined them, and schemes of fortune
that men deemed half desperate would, under his guidance, grow into safe
and profitable speculations. Others might equal him in intelligence,
in skill, in ready