at those exquisite
views which their excursions, on both sides of the bay presented to
them. Often did Winston sit by the side of Mildred, looking at those
scenes, and his happy spirit for a while reflected them as calmly as the
blue waters those beautiful islands within them. Alas! the pebble soon
fell in _one_ of those mirrors--the tranquil mood was ever and anon
cruelly disturbed.

We will not even trust ourselves in the museum of Naples, so rich in the
curiosities of the antiquarian, and in works of art; nor stand with
Mildred before those statues of the goddess Isis, from which it was
difficult to persuade her to move, so much was there of thought as well
as beauty in the countenances. One especially (for there are several) of
these statues of Isis--it was the smallest in the group--she confessed,
after all she had seen of sculpture, had affected her more intensely
than any work of art, by its thrilling union of deep mystery with
perfect loveliness. Of Isis herself, or of the religion taught under her
name, she confessed, she said, to have very obscure ideas; but if ever
a temple should be erected to human philosophy, that statue, she
thought, was worthy to occupy the chief place in it.

One of their excursions, however, it is necessary, for the sake of our
narrative, to give some account of--it is that to Vesuvius. Perhaps
there are few travellers who have not recorded the day they visited the
burning mountain as amongst the most remarkable of their lives. The
extreme beauty of the views as you ascend, the strange desolation
immediately around, and the grand spectacle that awaits you on the
summit, so vary and sustain the interest, that every emotion which
nature is capable of producing, seems to have been crowded into one
spot, and one hour.

The whole party started together on this expedition, but Mr. and Miss
Bloomfield had no intention of proceeding further than the hermitage--a
small house erected, as every one knows, half way up the mountain,
before the ascent becomes steep or severe, and, for the rest, very
little like a hermitage. Here they designed to stay, enjoying the
magnificent view it commands, while the younger half of the party
proceeded to scale the mountain. It would have been easy for them to
ascend thus far by a circuitous route in a carriage, but, beside that
horses could convey Mildred and her companion somewhat further than the
carriage road extends, the uncle and aunt were not unwilling