white houses, swept away
into the unseen distance.

Raeburn had been selected as the English delegate to attend a certain
political gathering held that year at Florence. He had at first
hesitated to accept the post for his work at home had enormously
increased; but the long months of wearing anxiety had so told upon him
that his friends had at length persuaded him to go, fully aware that the
only chance of inducing him to take any rest was to get him out of the
region of work.

The "Miracles" trial was at length over, but Mr. Pogson had not obtained
the desire of his heart, namely, the imprisonment and fining of Luke
Raeburn. The only results of the trial were the extensive advertisement
of the pamphlet in question, a great increase of bitterness on each
side, and a great waste of money. Erica's sole consolation lay in the
fact that a few of the more liberal thinkers were beginning to see
the evil and to agitate for a repeal of the Blasphemy Laws. As for the
action for libel, there was no chance of its coming on before June, and
in the meantime Mr. Pogson's letter was obtaining a wider circulation,
and perhaps, on the whole, Luke Raeburn was just at that time the
best-abused man in all England.

There had been a long silence between the father and daughter who
understood each other far too well to need many words at such a time;
but at length a sudden ejaculation from Raeburn made Erica turn her eye
from Fiesole to the shady walk in the garden down which he was looking.

"Does any Italian walk at such a pace?" he exclaimed. "That must surely
be Brian Osmond or his double in the shape of an English tourist."

"Oh, impossible!" said Erica, coloring a little and looking intently at
the pedestrian who was still at some little distance.

"But it is," said Raeburn "height, way of walking, everything! My dear
Eric, don't tell me I can't recognize the man who saved my life. I
should know him a mile off!"

"What can have brought him here?" said Erica, a certain joyous tumult
in her heart checked by the dread of evil tidings a dread which was but
natural to one who had lived her life.

"Come and meet him," said Raeburn. "Ha, Brian, I recognized you ever so
far off, and couldn't persuade this child of your identity."

Brian, a little flushed with quick walking, looked into Erica's face
searchingly, and was satisfied with what he read there satisfied with
the soft glow of color that came to her cheeks, and with the bright