ve it is never to reveal what takes place before
their eyes, his present communication was remarkable.

"Would that the good genius had remembered me in his moment of generous
abandonment!" muttered Norwood, as he took his road homeward to dress
for dinner.

Little scrupulous about the means of getting out of a difficulty,
provided it were only successful, Norwood scarcely bestowed another
thought upon the whole matter, and lounged along the streets, as
forgetful of the late scene as though it had passed twenty years before.

As the Viscount strolled along towards his lodgings, Kate Dalton, with
trembling limbs and palpitating heart, threaded her way through the
thronged streets, now wet and slippery from a thin rain that
was falling. So long as her road lay through the less-frequented
thoroughfares, her appearance excited little or no attention in the
passers-by; but when she entered the Piazza Santa Trinita, all ablaze
with gas-lamps and the reflected lights from brilliant shops, many
stopped, turned, and gazed at the strange sight of a young and beautiful
girl, attired in the very height of fashion, being alone and afoot at
such an hour. Unaccountable even to mystery, as it seemed, there was
something in her gait and carriage that at once repelled the possibility
of a disparaging impression, and many touched or removed their hats
respectfully as they made way for her to pass. To avoid the carriages,
which whirled past in every direction and at tremendous speed, she
passed close along by the houses; and, in doing so, came within that
brilliant glare of light that poured from the glass doors of the great
Cafe of the Piazza. It was exactly the hour when the idle loungers of
Florence society that listless class who form the staple of our club
life in England were swarming to talk of the plans of the evening, what
resources of pleasure were available, and what receptions were open.
The drizzling rain, and the cold, raw feeling of the air prevented their
being seated, as their custom was, before the doors, where in every
attitude of graceful languor they habitually smoked their cigars and
discussed the passersby, in all the plenitude of recreative indolence.
The group consisted of men of every age and country.

There were princes and blacklegs and adventurers; some with real rank
and fortune, others as destitute of character as of means. Many owned
names great and renowned in history; others bore designations only
chro