difficulty in the darkness, she had discovered the number at which
Julian had told her his friend lived. The house found, she began to
pace up and down on the opposite pavement, always keeping her eyes
fixed on the same door. She was soon shivering in the cold night
air, and quickened her walk. It was rather more than an hour before
the door she was watching at length opened, and two friends came out
together. Harriet followed them as closely as she could, until she
saw that she herself was observed. Thereupon she walked away, and,
by a circuit, ultimately came back into the main road, where she
took a 'bus going northwards.

Harriet's cousin, when alone of an evening, sat in his bedroom, the
world shut out, his thoughts in long past times, rebuilding the
ruins of a fallen Empire.

When he was eighteen, the lad had the good luck to light upon a
cheap copy of Gibbon in a second-hand book-shop. It was the first
edition; six noble quarto volumes, clean and firm in the old
bindings. Often he had turned longing eyes upon newer copies of the
great book, but the price had always put them beyond his reach. That
very night he solemnly laid open the first volume at the first page,
propping it on a couple of meaner books, and, after glancing through
the short Preface, began to read with a mind as devoutly disposed as
that of any pious believer poring upon his Bible. "In the second
century of the Christian AEra, the empire of Rome comprehended
the fairest part of the earth, and the most civilised portion of
mankind. The frontiers of that extensive monarchy were guarded by
ancient renown and disciplined valour." With what a grand epic roll,
with what anticipations of solemn music, did the noble history
begin! Far, far into the night Julian turned over page after page,