three o'clock, and I shall not fail to join you there. When
General Laurance calls, Mrs. Waul will instruct the servant to hand
him the note, with the information that I have gone for a farewell
drive around Naples."

Hurriedly completing her preparations, she entered the carriage, and
was soon borne along the incomparably beautiful road that skirts the
graceful curves of the Bay of Naples. But the glory of the sky, and
the legendary charms of the picturesque scenery that surrounded her,
appealed in vain to senses that were wrapped in the light of other
days, that listened only to the new canticle which hope long dumb was
now singing through all the sunny chambers of her heart.

Returning again and again to the perusal of the letters to assure
herself that no contingency could arise to defraud her of her
long-delayed recognition, she felt that the galling load of half her
life had suddenly slipped from her weary shoulders; and the world and
the future wore that magic radiance which greeted Miriam, as singing
she looked back upon the destruction escaped, and on toward the
redeemed inheritance awaiting her.

Reunion with her child, and the triumphant establishment of her
unsullied parentage, glowed as the silver stars in her new sky; while
a baleful lurid haze surrounded the thought of that dire punishment
she was enabled to inflict upon the men who had trampled her prayers
beneath their iron heels.

She recalled the image of the swarthy, supercilious, be-diamonded
woman who sat that memorable night in the minister's box, claiming as
husband the listless handsome man at her side; and as she pictured
the dismay which would follow the sudden rending of the name of
Laurance from the banker's daughter, and her helpless child, Mrs.
Orme laughed aloud.

Slowly the day wore on, and General Laurance failed to call at the
appointed hour to arrange the preliminaries of his marriage. His
servant brought a note, which Mrs. Orme read when she reached the
steamer, informing her that sudden and severe indisposition confined
him to his bed, and requested an interview on the ensuing morning.
Mrs. Waul had received the note and despatched in return that given
her by her mistress.

In the magical glow of that cloudless golden afternoon Mrs. Orme saw
the outlines of St. Elmo fade away, Capri vanish like a purple mist,
Ischia and Procida melt insensibly into the blue of the marvellous
bay; and watching the spark which trembled on the