as well here
as traipsing over the world in dust and heat. If, then, the girls see no
objection--"

"I should like it of all things, papa," broke in Miss O'Reilly.

"I am charmed with the very thought of it," cried Molly.

"Capital thought--romantic notion--save any amount of money, and no
taxes," muttered Twining.

"There's no approach by land whatever," said Spicer, who foresaw that
all his horse capabilities would receive no development here.

"All the better," broke in Twining; "no interlopers--no fellows
cantering down to luncheon, or driving over to dine--must come by boat,
and be seen an hour beforehand."

"If I know anything of my friend here," said the Viscount, "his taste
will rather lie in the fashion of a warm welcome than a polite denial
to a visitor. You must talk to Lanfranchi about the place to-morrow,
O'Reilly. He 's a shrewd fellow, and knows how to go about these
things."

"Faith, my Lord, I see everything in sunshine so long as I sit in such
company. It's the very genial kind of thing I like. A few friends--if I
'm not taking too great a liberty--"

"No, by no means, O'Reilly. The esteem I feel for you, and that Twining
feels for you "--here his Lordship looked over at Spicer and slightly
nodded, as though to say, "There is another there who requires no formal
mention in the deed "--"are not passing sentiments, and we sincerely
desire they may be accepted as true friendship."

"To be sure--unquestionably--great regard--unbounded admiration--what
fun!" muttered Twining, half aloud.

The evening wore along in pleasant projects for the future. Spicer had
undertaken to provide workmen and artificers of various kinds to repair
and decorate the villa and its grounds. He knew of such a gardener, too;
and he thought, by a little bribery and a trip down to Naples, he
might seduce the Prince of Syracuse's cook,--a Sicilian, worth all the
Frenchmen in the world for an ultramontane "cuisine." In fact, ere the
bright moonlight on the lake reminded them of their journey homeward,
they had arranged a plan of existence for the O'Reillys almost Elysian
in its enjoyments.

Few things develop more imaginative powers than the description of a
mode of life wherein "money is no object," and wishing and having are
convertible terms. Let a number of people--the least gifted though they
be with the graces of fancy--so picture forth such an existence, and
see how, by the mere multiplication of various tastes, t