he laurel
and vine-clad hills that lave their verdant feet in the blue waters,
Regina watched the sunshine falling across the placid bosom of the
lake. Far away, on the sky-line opposite, and towering above the
intervening mountains, glittered the white fire of the snowy Alps, as
if they longed to quench their dazzling lustre in the peaceful blue
sleeping beneath.

Luxuriant vines clambered along the hillsides, and where the latter
had been cut in terraces, and seemed swinging like the gardens of
Semiramis, orange, lemon, myrtle, and olive trees showed all their
tender green and soft grey tints, and longhaired acacias waved in the
evening air, that was redolent of the faint delicious vesper incense
swung from the pink chalices of climbing roses.

"No tree cumbered with creepers let the sunshine through,
But it was caught in scarlet cups, and poured
From these on amber tufts of bloom, and dropped
Lower on azure stars."

Never weary of studying the wonderful beauty of the surrounding
scenery, Regina surrendered herself to an enjoyment that would have
been unalloyed had not a lurking shadow cast its unwelcome chill on
all. Mr. and Mrs. Waul had returned to America, and for a month Mrs.
Laurance, accompanied by Mr. Chesley and Regina, had been quietly
ensconced in this lovely villa, whose terraces and balconies
projected almost into the water, and commanded some of the finest
views of the lake.

But anxiety had followed, taking up its dreary watch in the midst of
that witchery which might have exorcised the haunting grey ghost of
care; and though shrouded by every imaginable veil and garland of
beauty, its grim presence was as fully felt as that of the
byssus-clad mummy that played its allotted part at ancient Coptic
feasts.

The steamer in which Mr. Laurance embarked with his family for
America had been lost in mid Atlantic; and only one boat filled with
a portion of the passengers and crew had been rescued by a West
Indian ship bound for Liverpool. Among the published names of the few
survivors that of Laurance did not appear.

Had old ocean mercifully opened its crystal bosom and gathered to
coral caves and shrouding purple algae the unfortunate man, who had
quaffed all the rosy foam beading the goblet of life, and for whom it
only remained to drain the bitter lees of public humiliation and
social disgrace?

When Mrs. Laurance received the first intimation that Cuthbert had
probably per