ut her hastily averted eyes checked him, and with an inward
sigh, he went to order carriages for the proposed drive. He had grown to
believe during the past week or two that Barbara had divined his love
for her, and that the knowledge was very painful.

"I must have thoughtlessly disclosed it," said he to himself. "It has
become so much a part of my every thought. The best thing I can do now
is to convince her that it shall never cause her the slightest
annoyance; that it shall not change the frankly affectionate relations
that have heretofore existed between us. She is so young she will forget
it as she grows stronger, or perhaps I can make her feel that she has
mistaken me. Then she will be my little friend again."

The drive was thoroughly delightful. Bologna possesses many individual
characteristics. The very narrow streets, the lofty arcades that stretch
along on either side of them, the many venerable churches and palaces,
the quaintly picturesque towers, kept them exclaiming with pleasure.

"Can we not walk to the Academy?" asked Margery, the next morning. "I do
so wish to walk through some of these dear arcades."

So Barbara drove with Mrs. Douglas, and the others walked right through
the heart of the old city, whose streets have echoed to the footfalls of
countless and diverse people through a number of centuries that sounds
appalling to American ears.

Arrived at the picture-gallery, Mr. Sumner told them that though not of
very great importance when compared with many which they had visited, it
yet is very interesting on account of its collection of the works of the
most noted seventeenth-century Italian painters; especially those
belonging to the Bolognese-eclectic school, which was founded by the
Carracci.

"Nowhere else can these men, the Carracci, be studied as here in
Bologna, where they founded their art-school just at the close of the
sixteenth century. There are also some very good examples of the work of
Domenichino, Guido Reni, Albani, and other famous pupils of the
Carracci. You saw fine frescoes by Domenichino and Guido Reni in Rome
and Naples, and I am sure you remember perfectly Domenichino's
_Communion of St. Jerome_ in the Vatican Gallery.

"Perhaps," he continued, with an inquiring look, "you know the principle
on which this school of painting was founded, and which gave it its
name."

Bettina answered: "I think they tried to select the best pictures from
all other schools and embody