hore, bringing a few fresh passengers, and the mails and
parcel traffic of the lake; returning with the same, and such passengers
who desire to land.

At last we reach Bellagio, where the lake divides. Here one would fain
linger, it is so grand, so beautiful, so still,--the snow-capped
mountains rising in sublime majesty from the deep blue lake to the paler
blue of the sky, their sternness broken by the forests on their slopes,
and the brilliant colouring of the trees,--the tender green of the fresh
spring foliage contrasting finely with the grey tints of the sombre
olive--the whole, with its moving lights and shadows, mirrored
faithfully in the bosom of the lake below.

"Sublime, but neither bleak nor bare,
Nor misty are the mountains there--
Softly sublime, profusely fair,
Up to their summits clothed in green,--
And fruitful as the vales between,
They lightly rise,
And scale the skies,
And groves and gardens still abound;
For where no shoot
Could else take root
The peaks are shelved and terraced round."

The only thing that disturbed the dream-like enjoyment of the moment was
the presence on board the steamer of three rowdy Americans, who
preferred to be "funny," and caricature the sublime splendour around
them, rather than enjoy it with grateful admiration. Their foolish
conceit prevented them keeping this so-called fun to themselves.
Happily, it is not often one travels in such disagreeable company,
though one too frequently meets with those whose sole object in coming
to these beautiful spots is the _ambitious_ one of being able to say on
their return home that they have "done" Italy. I am obliged to admit,
however, that these are mostly my own countrymen.

After luncheon at the Grand Hotel at Bellagio, which we enjoyed in the
verandah, with a magnificent view of the lake spread before us, we took
a stroll on the shore, and looked at the little shops, where we saw in
process of manipulation the Italian pillow-lace, of which, as a matter
of course, my wife longed to make purchases.

The hotels are charmingly situated about the shores of the lake,
commanding the most beautiful views of the grand scenery around; they
seem to be comfortable, and are reasonable in their charges. Certainly a
more pleasant place for a short stay could not be found; the
hill-climbing excursions would be delightful. Towards evening we
returne