a thought of the letters about it which she would write to
her lover,--only that she had determined that she would not write to
him at all without telling her mother,--and Mrs. Trevelyan would for
moments almost forget that she had been robbed of her child.

From Milan they went on to Florence, and though they were by that
time quite at home in Italy, and had become critical judges of
Italian inns and Italian railways, they did not find that journey
to be quite so pleasant. There is a romance to us still in the name
of Italy which a near view of many details in the country fails to
realise. Shall we say that a journey through Lombardy is about as
interesting as one through the flats of Cambridgeshire and the fens
of Norfolk? And the station of Bologna is not an interesting spot
in which to spend an hour or two, although it may be conceded that
provisions may be had there much better than any that can be procured
at our own railway stations. From thence they went, still by rail,
over the Apennines, and unfortunately slept during the whole time.
The courier had assured them that if they would only look out they
would see the castles of which they had read in novels; but the day
had been very hot, and Sir Marmaduke had been cross, and Lady Rowley
had been weary, and so not a castle was seen. "Pistoia, me lady,
this," said the courier opening the door;--"to stop half an hour."
"Oh, why was it not Florence?" Another hour and a half! So they
all went to sleep again, and were very tired when they reached the
beautiful city.

During the next day they rested at their inn, and sauntered through
the Duomo, and broke their necks looking up at the inimitable glories
of the campanile. Such a one as Sir Marmaduke had of course not come
to Florence without introductions. The Foreign Office is always very
civil to its next-door neighbour of the colonies,--civil and cordial,
though perhaps a little patronising. A minister is a bigger man than
a governor; and the smallest of the diplomatic fry are greater swells
than even secretaries in quite important dependencies. The attache,
though he be unpaid, dwells in a capital, and flirts with a countess.
The governor's right-hand man is confined to an island, and dances
with a planter's daughter. The distinction is quite understood, but
is not incompatible with much excellent good feeling on the part of
the superior department. Sir Marmaduke had come to Florence fairly
provided with passports