not to hurt his sister's feelings
needlessly, by speaking of her. Little Mila, the only personal
attendant with whom she could converse, had been warned not to mention
the arrival of Ada and her attendant; and for some time she kept the
secret which was burning on her tongue; but as she suffered somewhat
from that infirmity which is said, I suspect unjustly, to be peculiar to
her sex, she at last began to think that she had kept it long enough.
She did not, however, at once announce the information she had to
communicate, but reserved to herself the pleasure of giving it out by
driblets.

"We shall have the whole castle built up as it used to be, one of these
days, I suspect, signora," she observed, as she was assisting Nina to
dress. "It would be difficult, though, to arrange a more handsome room
than this."

"No, Mila, scarcely could anything be more beautiful than this. But why
should you say so?" asked Nina, whose suspicions had already been
aroused by her attendant's previous remarks.

"Why, signora, I was comparing it with a room I have seen elsewhere,
which is also very magnificent," returned Mila.

"You have seen! Why, you have never been off this island," exclaimed
Nina.

"That is true, signora," said the Greek girl; "but the room I speak of
is on the island, and I confess it is at no great distance from this
tower."

"I was not aware that any other part of the castle was inhabited, except
the tower and the house close to it," observed Nina.

"There you are mistaken, signora. The other old tower to the east of
this, has had a room lately fitted up, very much like this, and there
lives there a good-natured, lively girl, who tells me--for we manage to
talk very well together--that she was born in an island like this, only
larger. I like her very much, though she is not at all pretty; but she
has a mistress, a young lady, who also lives in the tower, who is a
complete angel--so fair, and kind, and beautiful, though she does not
speak much, as she does not understand a word of Romaic; but I loved her
the moment I saw her, and I am sure you would do so also, signora, were
you to see her."

"A lady! young, and fair, and beautiful," repeated the Italian girl, a
feeling gushing into her bosom which was very far from being allied to
love. "Who is she? how long has she been here? what is she like?"

"As to who she is, signora, all I know is, that they say she belongs to
a people who have big ships, an