hus commemorate her
misadventure; while I mumbled out something about our being mere passing
strangers, unknown in the land.

'No matter for that,' replied the inexorable father, 'I'll have your
names--ay, autographs too!'

'The sun seems very low,' said Laura, as she pointed to the west, where
already a blaze of red golden light was spreading over the horizon: 'I
think we must hasten our departure.'

'Follow me, then,' said the _pere_, 'and I 'll conduct you by an easier
path than we came up by.'

With that he unlocked a small postern in the curtain wall, and led us
across a neatly-shaven lawn to a little barbican, where, again unlocking
the door, we descended a flight of stone steps into a small garden
terraced in the native rock. The labour of forming it must have been
immense, as every shovelful of earth was carried from the plain beneath;
and here were fruit-trees and flowers, shrubs and plants, and in the
midst a tiny _jet d'eau_, which, as we entered, seemed magically to
salute us with its refreshing plash. A little bench, commanding a view
of the river from a different aspect, invited us to sit down for a
moment. Indeed, each turn of the way seduced us by some beauty, and we
could have lingered on for hours.

As for me, forgetful of the past, careless of the future, I was totally
wrapped up in the enjoyment of the moment, and Laura herself seemed
so enchanted by the spot that she sat silently gazing on the tranquil
scene, apparently lost in delighted reverie. A low, faint sigh escaped
her as she looked; and I thought I could see a tremulous motion of
her eyelid, as though a tear were struggling within it My heart beat
powerfully against my side. I turned to see where was the _pere_. He
had gone. I looked again, and saw him standing on a point of rock far
beneath us, and waving his handkerchief as a signal to some one in the
valley. Never was there such a situation as mine; never was mortal man
so placed. I stole my hand carelessly along the bench till it touched
hers; but she moved not away--no, her mind seemed quite preoccupied. I
had never seen her profile before, and truly it was very beautiful.
All the vivacity of her temperament calmed down by the feeling of the
moment, her features had that character of placid loveliness which
seemed only wanting to make her perfectly handsome. I wished to speak,
and could not. I felt that if I could have dared to say 'Laura,' I could
have gone on bravely afterwards-