e more accurate knowledge of the
outward appearance and the inner life of this motherless, convent-reared
girl, who, though a young and wealthy heiress, was bent on forsaking the
world and taking the vail. In the first place, she was not beautiful at
all in repose. There can be no physical beauty without physical health.
And Salome Levison partook of the delicate organization of her mother,
who had passed away in early womanhood, and of her brothers and sisters,
who had gone in infancy or childhood.

Salome, when still and silent, was, at first sight plain. She was rather
below the medium height, slight and thin in form, pale and dark in
complexion, with irregular features, and quiet, downcast, dark-gray eyes,
whose long lashes cast shadows upon pallid cheeks, and which were arched
with dark eyebrows on a massive forehead, shaded with an abundance of
dark brown hair, simply parted in the middle, drawn back and wound into
a rich roll. Her dress was as simple as her station permitted it to be.

Altogether she seemed a girl unattractive in person and reserved in
speech.

The very opposite of the handsome shepherdess of Ben Lone.

And yet when she looked up or smiled, her face was transfigured into a
wondrous beauty; such intellectual and spiritual beauty as that perfect
piece of flesh and blood never could have expressed. And she was a
"sealed book." Yet the hour was at hand when the "sealed book" was to be
opened--when her dreaming soul, like the sleeping princess in the wood,
was to be awakened by the touch of holy love to make the beauty of her
person and the glory of her life.

CHAPTER II.

AN IDEAL LOVE.

A few weeks after their settlement at Lone, Sir Lemuel Levison returned
to London on affairs connected with his final retirement from active
business.

Salome was left at the castle, with the numerous servants of the
establishment, but otherwise quite alone. She had neither governess,
companion, nor confidential maid. She suffered from this enforced
solitude. She had seen all the splendors of the interior of Lone, and
there was nothing new to discover--except--yes, there was Malcom's Tower,
which tradition said was the most ancient portion of the castle, whose
foundations had been dug from the solid rock, hundreds of feet below the
surface of the lake.

The tower had been restored with the rest of the castle, but had never
been fitted up for occupation.

Salome determined to spend one morning in