le day and
saw for the first time its flames bursting out, and throwing their
horrid glare on the snow-capped mountains around. Fire is a
tremendous element".

As he uttered the words, the scene of the great conflagration at
Miramichi rose to his view.

"_Salve! Salve!_" exclaimed a rich, musical voice near him, just at
that moment.

The word and the tone in which it was uttered, thrilled him, like an
electric shock. He looked, with a bewildered air, in the direction
from whence the voice proceeded, and saw, standing before the
threshold of one of the Pompeian houses, a tall, elegant female
figure, habited in mourning.

Her eyes were fixed upon the word of salutation, written on the
threshold, at the entrance. After contemplating it a moment, she
turned her head involuntarily towards Mr. Lansdowne, who stood
transfixed to the spot. Their eyes met in instant recognition. Neither
moved--they were both paralyzed with sudden emotion.

Mrs. Lansdowne looked up in surprise.

"What is it, John?"

"It is", said he, recovering himself, "it is, that I am astonished to
meet here, so unexpectedly, a friend whom I supposed to be in
France--certainly not here".

He led his mother forward a few steps and presented her to
Mademoiselle Dubois.

M. and Mdme. Dubois, who were standing a little apart, examining some
objects of interest, while this scene of recognition transpired, now
joined the group and were presented to Mrs. Lansdowne. During the
remainder of the day, the two families formed one party.

They visited the ruined theatre, the Forum, the temples of Isis and
Hercules, but the spell of Pompeii no longer bound the souls of John
and Adele. It is true, they walked on, sometimes side by side,
sometimes with other forms between, absorbed, entranced; but a spirit
more potent than any inhabiting the walls of the old Roman city had
touched the powers of their being and woven its sorceries around them.
The living present had suddenly shut out the past.

So, after three years, they had met. Such meetings are critical. In
the lapse of time, what changes may occur! There is so much in life to
mar the loveliest and noblest! In regard to character, of course no
one can stand still. There is either a process of deterioration going
on, or a work of intellectual and spiritual advancement. Memory and
imagination glorify the absent and the dead. The lovers had been
constantly exercising, respecting each other, their faculty of
i