Volume VI Part 61 (2/2)

About six o'clock the arden and a His wife he asked to stay, as he had soust and the heat was great, but the rooround floor which we occupied was cooled by a delicious breeze

I looked out of theand noticed that the leaves on the trees were still, and that no as blowing; and I could not help saying to the marquis that I was astonished to find his roo in the heats of summer

”Your sweetheart will explain it to you,” said he

We went through several apartments, and at last reached a closet, in one corner of which was a square opening

Fro one could go down a stone staircase of at least a hundred steps, and at the bottorotto where was the source of a stream of water as cold as ice

Donna Lucrezia told o down the steps without excessively war

I have never cared to run risks of this kind Lord Baltier, and gone, maybe, to his death I toldvery well from the description, and that I had no curiosity to see whether ination were correct

Lucrezia told arden

It was a large place, and separated froarden common to the three other fained was there, fountains threw their glittering sprays, and grottoes afforded a pleasing shade from the sun

The alleys of this terrestrial paradise were forrapes seemed almost as numerous as the leaves

Lucrezia enjoyedmore moved by this than by the vines of Tivoli and Frascati

The immense rather dazzles the eyes than hter was happy, and that therief was that he had no children Ast his dozen of nephews there was not one worthy of succeeding to the title

”They are all ugly, aard lads, more like peasants than noblenorant priests; and so it is not to be wondered that the marquis does not care for them much”

”But is Leonilda really happy?”

”She is, though her husband cannot be quite so ardent as she would like at her age”

”He doesn't seem to me to be a very jealous man”

”He is entirely free from jealousy, and if Leonilda would take a lover I am sure he would be his best friend And I feel certain he would be only too glad to find the beautiful soil which he cannot fertile himself fertilized by another”

”Is it positively certain that he is incapable of begetting a child?”

”No, when he is well he does his best; but there see any happy results There was soe, but since he has had the gout so badly there seems reason to fear lest his amorous ecstasies should have a fatal termination Sometimes he warts to approach her, but she dare not let him, and this pains her very much”

I was struck with a lively sense of Lucrezia'sto her the sentiments which she had re-awakened in arden, followed by a page and a young lady

I affected great reverence as she caiven each other the word, she answered me in atone of cerehest importance,” she said, ”and if I fail I shall for ever lose the reputation of a diplomatist?”