Porters happened to be off Duty, and may never have fuch an Opportunity again."

Tafo! if I gave you an Opportunity

would you abuse it ?"

"As I am a living Man, no!"

"Do you think you could command

felf?"

"I am certain."

your

He raised his noble Figure to its full Height, cleared his Brow, and food looking full at me in calm, ferene, Self-control. Ah! what a Man he was!

"Well, I am going to do a very bold Thing, and perhaps may fail after all. The Duke, the two Ducheffes and their Train are from Home,—or you had not found the Entrance fo negligently guarded-Madama Leonora is only with her Women, and has been very much indifpofed all the Morning, but I think an Interview with you would cheer her, if you would fedulously avoid whatever could excite, and only aim at spending a calm and cheerful Hour with her."

"I will meet her as if we had parted but

Yesterday! It fhall be like one of our old Chats at Cofandoli."

Exactly! That will be the very Thing. I may depend on you?"

"Rely on me, my dear old Friend!" He wrung my Hand, and then, clasping both his own, looked up to Heaven with Thoughtfulness and high Resolve.

"Wait a Moment, then. I will fee if the Thing can be done."

I left him, and in a few Minutes returned. "Follow me. And remember your Pro

mife."

CHAPTER XV.

Of the Interview in Madama Leonora's
Dreffing-room.

HE mild Light of a funny Winter
Morning was fo tempered by Sun-

blinds and Mosquito-curtains of pale rofe-coloured Gauze, that the waxen Features of my dear Madama appeared lefs wan and faded than they would have done in a full Light; and her graceful, wafted Form, draped in the softest Muslin, with a long Veil of fine black Lace falling from her Head over her Shoulders in full Folds, betrayed little of its Emaciation except to the Eyes that daily watched her and the Arms that daily lifted her. A Rofary of Pearls with ruby Credobeads, and an Agnus-Dei of exquifitely carved Ivory, was her only Ornament; an ebony

R

Crucifix and illuminated Miffal were on the little Table befide her, together with a perforated Ball of filver Filagree-work filled with Effence, and a Vafe of Venetian Glafs filled with Hyacinths, Narciffuses, Violets, and Snowdrops, which perfumed the Air. At her Head ftood Olimpia, fedulously arranging the Pillows of her Couch, which when she had done, fhe fat down on a high Stool just apart from her, gently. fanning her now and then with a Feather-fan.

Taffo, advancing quickly yet gently towards her, knelt befide her, kiffed the thin Hand fhe extended to him, and faid cheerfully, "The Bleffing of God be upon you, dear Lady!"

She betrayed more Emotion than he did, and lay quite filent, with quivering Lip and fluttering Bofom. Pointing to a low Stool, on which he could fit facing her and close to her, she said in a Whisper, "Sit there."

He did fo, and immediately took her Hand again in his, and continued regarding her fixedly, with a sweet and affectionate Smile.

The Effort to him must have been immenfe, but there was no Sign of there being any Effort at all.

Almoft voiceleffly, fhe at length faid, “You find me much altered. And you are altered too."

" If you

"Have not I had Enough to alter me?" faid he cheerfully. think me altered, after eighteen Months' abfence, what must my Sister Cornelia have done, when we met for the firft Time fince our Childhood? She did not know me at all! I gueffed it would be fo, and played her fuch a Trick! Oh, such a Trick!"

"Tell me about it, Tasso!"

"So I will, but where fhall I begin? Oh, from the Night I ran away from you all, when you had spoken thofe kind, sweet, infpiriting Words to me in the Balcony." (He had not left Ferrara that Night, but it was the last Time she had feen him.) "Ah well, that was a forrowful Time with me; I will not much dwell upon it. I longed for my early Home, for my native Country, for