ntal, inaccurate persons who
read Homer in English (or French) will not so easily consent to
Alkinoos. No; Alcinous (which reminds them vaguely of halcyon) will
remain in their minds as the name of the king who lived "far removed
from the trafficking nations," among his blossoming gardens in the
billowy sea; and to this faith will they cling. The clinging evidently
exists at Corfu. One of the most comical sights there is a modern
"detached villa," of course English, which might have come from
Cheltenham; it is planted close to the glaring road, and over its dusty
gate is inscribed imperturbably, "Alcinous Lodge."

[Illustration: VILLAGE OF PELLEKA]

One wonders whether the princesses of to-day (who no longer dry clothes
upon the shore) amuse their leisure hours with Homer's recitals
concerning their predecessors? One of them, at any rate, has chosen
Corfu as a place of sojourn; the Empress of Austria, after paying many
visits to the island, has now built for herself a country residence, or
villino, at a distance from the town, not far from Nausicaa's stream.
The house is surrounded by gardens, and from the terrace there is a
magnificent view in all directions; here she enjoys the solitude which
she is said to love, and the Corfiotes see only the coming and going
of her yacht. I don't know why there should be something so delightful,
to one mind at least, in the selection of this distant Greek island as
the resting-place of a queen, who takes the long journey down the
Adriatic year after year to reach her retreat. The preference is perhaps
due simply to fondness for a sea-voyage, and to the fact that a yacht
lying at Trieste lies practically at Vienna's door. Lovers of Corfu,
however, will not be turned aside by any of these reasons; they will
continue to believe that the choice is made for beauty's sake; they will
extol this perfect appreciation; they will praise this modern Nausicaa;
they will purchase her portrait in photographed copies. When they have
one of these representations, they can note with satisfaction the
accordance between its outlines and a taste in islands which is surely
the best in the world.

[Illustration: KING GEORGE OF GREECE]

The casino of the Empress is not the only royal residence at Corfu.
About a mile from the town is the country-house called "Mon Repos," the
property of the King of Greece. King George and Queen Olga, with their
children, have frequently spent summers here. The mansion i