re about such disagreeable
characters and subjects, Manuela rose at the conclusion of the meal and
retired to her apartment, while Lawrence continued to sip his coffee in
a balcony which overlooked the vineyard behind the hotel.

It was evening, and, although unusually warm, the weather was very
enjoyable, for a profound calm reigned around, and the hum of the
multitudes in the distant square seemed hushed as the church bells rang
the hour for evening prayers. As the twilight deepened, and the stars
came faintly into sight in the dark-blue vault above, the thoughts of
Lawrence became strangely saddened, and, gradually quitting the scene of
peaceful beauty on which he gazed, sped over the Cordillera of the Andes
to that home of his boyhood which now lay in ashes. The frame of mind
thus induced naturally led him to dwell on past scenes in which his
mother had taken a part, and he was still meditating, more than half
asleep, on the joys which were never to return, when he was roused into
sudden and thorough consciousness by something--he could not tell what--
a sort of sensation--which caused him to leap from his chair.

At the same moment there arose from the streets a cry, or wail.
Suddenly a rumbling noise was heard. Lawrence bounded towards the
nearest door. Full well he knew what it meant. Before he could escape
there was a tremendous upheaval of the solid earth, and in one instant,
without further warning, the entire town fell with one mighty crash!
Lawrence just saw the walls and roof collapsing--then all was dark, and
consciousness forsook him.

CHAPTER TEN.

RECOUNTS SOME TERRIBLE AND SOME VIGOROUS DEEDS.

How long our hero lay in this state he could not tell, but on recovering
his faculties he became conscious of the fact that he was in total
darkness, lying on his back, with a tremendous weight pressing on his
chest. For a few moments he remained still, quite unable to recollect
what had occurred, or where he was.

Suddenly memory resumed its office--the earthquake! the fall of the
hotel!--and, with a gush of horror, he realised the terrible truth that
he was buried alive.

The reader must have been in the position we describe to understand
fully the feelings of the poor youth at that moment. His first impulse
was to make a violent effort to shake off the intolerable weight that
almost suffocated him; but his efforts, strong though he was, proved in
vain. It felt as if a mountain held him dow