illiant group. It pleased him to see what
deference was paid to him--how Italian princes and French dukes made way
when Mrs. Chester presented him to the beautiful heiress.

The first moment the proud clear eyes smiled in his face he liked her.
She was most charming in her manner; she had not the fire and passion of
Leone; she was not brilliant, original or sparkling, but she was sweet,
candid, amiable, and gentle.

One found rest in her--rest in the blue eyes, in the sweet, smiling
lips, in the soft, low voice, in the graceful, gentle movements--rest
and content.

She never irritated, never roused any one to any great animation; she
received rather than gave ideas; she was one of those quiet, gentle,
amiable women whose life resembles the rippling of a brook rather than
the rush of a stream. She looked with a smile into the handsome face of
the young lord, and she, too, liked him.

They stood together for a few minutes while Lord Chandos begged for a
dance, and even during the brief time more than one present thought what
a handsome pair they were. Lord Chandos was much pleased with her--the
low voice, the exquisitely-refined accent, the gentle grace, all
delighted him.

She lacked passion, power, fire, originality, the chief things which
went for the making up of Leone's character; no two people could be more
dissimilar, more unlike; yet both had a charm for Lord Chandos; with the
one he found the stimulant of wit and genius, with the other sweetest
rest.

They had several dances together; in her quiet, gentle way Lady Marion
confided to him that she preferred Englishmen to Italians, whom she
thought wanting in frankness and ease.

"Why did you come to Rome?" asked Lord Chandos; and the beautiful blonde
was almost at a loss how to answer the question. The only answer that
she could give was that Lady Cambrey had first mentioned it.

"It was not from any great wish, then, to see the antiquities or the art
treasures of Rome?" asked Lord Chandos, thinking as he spoke with what
rapture Leone would have thought of a visit to Italy.

"No, it was not that, although I would not have missed seeing Rome on
any account. What brought you here, Lord Chandos?"

He also hesitated for a moment, then he answered:

"I really do not know. I came, so far as I know my own mind, because my
mother came," and then their eyes met with a curious, half-laughing
gaze.

It was strange that they should have both come there without h