, and sat sobbing, with her hands over her
face; then, suddenly wiping the tears away, she rose up, and, while her
voice trembled with each word, she said, "Is he changed, George? is he
greatly changed?"

"Changed! yes, for he has been ill, and gone through all manner of
hardships, and now he is dressed like a Montenegro chief, for we could
get no other clothes, so that you'll scarcely know him."

"Let us find Nelly at once," said she, moving towards the door. "Come,
George,--come," and she was down the stairs, and across the hall, and
out at the door, before he could follow her. In her agitated manner, and
rapid expression, it was evident she was endeavoring to subdue the deep
emotion of her heart, and, by seeming to be occupied, to suppress the
signs of that blended joy and sorrow which rack the nature more fatally
than downright misery.

"See, George, look there!" cried she, wildly, as she pointed down a
straight alley, at the top of which they were standing. "There they are.
Nelly has her arm round him. They have met, and it is all over;" and so
saying, she hid her face on her brother's shoulder, and sobbed heavily.
Meanwhile, the two came slowly forward, too much engaged with each other
to notice those in front of them.

CHAPTER LVIII. THE VILLA LIFE.

It is not at this the eleventh hour of my story, I can stop to dwell on
the life of the villa at Cattaro, though I am free to own it was about
the sunniest bit of landscape our long journey has offered us.

Seated, or lying on the grass, under the shade of a broad-leaved
fig-tree, they listened to Jack's adventures, told with a quaint humor,
of which they, who knew him well, could appreciate every shade and
tint In his days of prosperous fortune it was rare to hear him speak of
himself. The routine life he led seemed to develop little or nothing of
his real nature; but now, dependent as he was altogether on intrinsic
qualities, for whatever estimation he might obtain, owing nothing to
station, it was remarkable how his character had widened and expanded,
how his sympathies with his fellow-men had increased. Though nothing
could be farther from his nature than any mawkish sentimentality, there
was that show of trustfulness, that degree of hopeful belief in the
world at large, which occasionally led Julia to banter him on his
optimism; and this, be it said passingly, was the only show of freedom
between them,--their manner to each other from the moment they