dress lay, as it was
caught and torn off in the closing door. Norwood took it up, and sat
down to examine it with attention.

"Point d'Alencon," said he, "bespeaks no vulgar wearer; and such is
this! Who could have thought of George Onslow playing Lothario! But this
comes of Italy. And now to find her out." He ran over to himself half a
dozen names, in which were nearly as many nationalities, but some doubt
accompanied each. "No matter," thought he, "the secret will keep."

He suddenly remembered, at the instant, that he had promised an
acquaintance to pass some days with him in the Maremma, shooting; and,
not sorry to have so good a reason for a few days' absence, he arose
and set out towards his hotel, having first carefully placed within
his pocketbook the little fragment of lace, a clew to a mystery he was
resolved to explore hereafter.

CHAPTER XXIX. FRANK'S JOURNEY.

Our readers may, ere this, have surmised that Frank Dalton's career as
a soldier was neither very adventurous nor exciting, since otherwise
we should scarcely have so nearly forgotten him. When he parted with
Hanserl to pursue his journey, his heart was full of warring and
conflicting emotions, love of home and hope of future distinction
alternately swaying him; so that while his affections drew him ever
backwards, his ambitious urged him to go on.

"I could have been so happy to have lived with them," thought he, "even
as a peasant lives, a life of daily toil. I would have asked for no
higher fortune than that peaceful home we had made for ourselves by
our own affections, the happy fireside, that sufficed us for all
the blandishments of wealth and riches. Still there would have been
something ignoble in this humility, something that would ill become
my blood as a Dalton. It was not thus my ancestors understood their
station, it was not with such lowly ambitions their hearts were stirred.
Count Stephen himself might at this hour have been in obscurity and
poverty as great, perhaps, as our own had he been thus minded; and now
he is a field-marshal, with a 'Maria Teresa' cross on his breast! and
this without one friend to counsel or to aid him! What a noble service
is that where merit can win its way self-sustained and independent,
where, without the indignity of a patron, the path of honorable
enterprise lies free and open to all! What generous promptings, what
bold aspirations such a career engenders! He shall not be ashamed of
me, he sha