bout the sunny old walls. When all were
enjoying the view from the top of Jupiter's Temple, she gazed long
towards the Sorrento promontory, the height of St. Angelo.

"Amalfi is over on the far side," she said to Miriam. "They are both
working there now."

Miriam replied nothing.

When they were in the Street of Tombs, Cecily again paused, by the
sepulchre of the Priestess Mamia, whence there is a clear prospect
across the bay towards the mountains. Turning back again, she heard a
voice that made her tremble with delighted surprise. A wall concealed
the speaker from her; she took a few quick steps, and saw Reuben Elgar
shaking hands with the Bradshaws. He looked at her, and came forward.
She could not say any thing, and was painfully conscious of the blood
that rushed to her face; never yet had she known this stress of
heart-beats that made suffering of joy, and the misery of being unable
to command herself under observant eyes.

It was years since Elgar and the Bradshaws had met. As a boy he had
often visited their house, but from the time of his leaving home at
sixteen to go to a boarding-school, his acquaintance with them, as with
all his other Manchester friends, practically ceased. They had often
heard of him--too often, in their opinion. Aware of his arrival at
Naples, they had expressed no wish to see him. Still, now that he met
them in this unexpected way, they could not but assume friendliness.
Jacob, not on the whole intolerant, was willing enough to take "the
lad" on his present merits; Reuben had the guise and manners of a
gentleman, and perhaps was grown out of his reprobate habits. Mr.
Bradshaw and his wife could not but notice Cecily's agitation at the
meeting; they exchanged wondering glances, and presently found an
opportunity for a few words apart. What was going on? How had these two
young folks become so intimate? Well, it was no business of theirs.
Lucky that Mrs. Baske was one of the company.

And why should Cecily disguise that now only was her enjoyment of the
day begun--that only now had the sunshine its familiar brightness, the
ancient walls and ways their true enchantment? She did not at once
become more talkative, but the shadow had passed utterly from her face,
and there was no more listlessness in her movements.

"I have stopped here on my way to join Mallard," was all Reuben said,
in explanation of his presence.

All kept together. Mr. Bradshaw resumed his interest in antiquities,