7HE STRAND

Where the darts from Pheebus” quiver Never pierce the myrtle groves, Where by many a lonely river Birds trill out their happy loves . Where the gushing Streamlet rushing Through the starlit dingle roves— There, there, Shalt thou with me my sceret share,

Orazio Memmo, one of the cleverest impro- visers of his time, scized my zither, and answered at onee

Where thou leadest Towill follow, Sweet enigma, after thee ; [lee !l I notif O SOITOW The guerdon of my quest shall Te— Vet on the strand, Iinchantress, land, And if thy heart inchine to me I'here, there, Shall T with thee thy seercet share.

“\We were approaching nearer and nearer to the strange gondola. before the

Our how cut anew

the waves track of thes had

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YvoOSHE TURNED TTER FACHKH

AMAGAZTN.

disappearcd on the water, and the foam that followed her was like a silver cord which she had thrown out to drag us, like prisoners, hehind her. Thus we ran mto the Brenta Canal, flew past the sumptuous villas and pleasure houses ol the rieh \enctians, and stopped before ahigh marble portal, through the wilt bars of which we could look mto 4 spacious garden laid out with princely magnilicence,

“Ihe stranger stepped out. - By San Marco'! 2 queenly form with witching grace m-every movement. Slowly she turned her face, lighted with the sweetest smile, once more toward my masters from the soft, black, vazelledike eyes gleamed on him a friendly light, and then she moved forward from the spot.—‘T'he litde Moor, holdmy a gaudy sunshade over the head of his mistress, and the chattering bird on his fist, followed close at her heels. The Hew open, shut clashing hehind them s the pair then slowly approached the castle through 4 lane Tormed of Taurels and myvrtles, and vanished.

- Beautiful a dream cricd Signor Memmo, rousing

vates

s

v himscell from his bewilder- P ment: fand to whom does the ! o g;n'(lgn, the castle, belong ?”

_ e do not know at all,

N lixeetlenza s [ see them to-day N : for the first time; and yet N this 1s the Drenta Canal —a B f:'::jl thousand times have T rowed fk - over it; I know every gate, I cvery villa, every bush—but,

by San Antonio, never have 1

seen a o stone ol this castle Ah, Hustrissimo, take my word for it, all is not as it should be here! Tt is the delusion of the devil, nothing more. Utter but one *paternoster,” and the whole phantasm will vanish Tike a streak of mist. [Tave vou not heard of vampires? You have only to ask the Greetan and Hiyrian boatmen, and they will tell you how the wraiths of these child-murderers appearas yvoung and beautiful women, and fill with lTove the brains of the young men, and suck out their hearts” blcod as they slumber. And o such a vampire s the Lastern princess there - -1 will take the saerament to it! Take my advice, Ioseellenza, et us return, and that as quickly as possible. Here we stand on unholy ground.’

“71 looked round now for the strange gon- dola; she had vanished completely, as though swallowed by the Brenta. T pointed this

l we.