is
magnificent; more of both than I can say; and yet, it does not give me
the feeling of respect I felt for that old dome at Limburg."

"But," said Lawrence; "that won't do, you know. St. Mark's and Limburg!
that opinion cannot stand. What makes you say so?"

"I don't know," said Dolly. "I have a feeling that the people who built
that were more in earnest than the people who built this."

"More in earnest? I beg your pardon!" said Lawrence. "What can you
mean? I should say people were in earnest enough here, to judge by the
riches of the place. Just see the adornment everywhere, and the
splendour."

"Yes," said Dolly, "I see. It is partly that. Though there was
adornment, and riches too, at the other place. But the style of it is
different. Those grave old towers at Limburg seemed striving up into
the sky. I don't see any striving here; in the building, I mean."

"Why, there are pinnacles enough," said Lawrence, in comical inability
to fathom her meaning, or answer her.

"Yes," said Dolly; "and domes; but the pinnacles do not strive after
anything, and the cupolas seem to settle down like great extinguishers
upon everything like striving."

Lawrence laughed, and thought in his own mind that Dolly was a little
American, wanting culture, and knowing nothing about architecture.

"What is that great long building?" Mrs. Copley now inquired.

"That, mother?--that is the palace of the Doges. Where is the Bridge of
Sighs?"

They went round to look at it from the Ponte della Paglia. Nearer
investigation had to be deferred, or, Dolly saw, it would be too
literally a bridge of sighs to them that morning. They turned their
backs on the splendours, ecclesiastical and secular, of the Place of
St. Mark, and proceeded to the store of second-hand curiosities St.
Leger had promised Mrs. Copley, the visit to which could no longer be
deferred. Dolly was in a dream of delight all the way. Sunlight on the
old palaces, on the bridges over the canals, on the wonderful carvings
of marbles, on the strange water-ways; sunlight and colour; ay, and
shadow and colour too, for the sun could not get in everywhere. Between
the beauty and picturesqueness, and the wealth of old historic legend
and story clustering about it everywhere, Dolly's dream was entrancing.

"I do not know half enough about Venice," she remarked by the way.
"Rupert, we must read up. As soon as I can get the books," she added
with a laugh.

However, Dolly was susce