He had not proceeded far, before he saw, that the remainder of the party
was composed of Lester's daughters, the lover of the elder, and a fourth,
whom he recognised as a celebrated French botanist who had lately arrived
in England, and who was now making an amateur excursion throughout the
more attractive districts of the island.

The Earl guessed rightly, that Monsieur de N--had not neglected to apply
to Aram for assistance in a pursuit which the latter was known to have
cultivated with such success, and that he had been conducted hither, as a
place affording some specimen or another not unworthy of research. He
now, giving his horse to his groom, joined the group.




CHAPTER III.

WHEREIN THE EARL AND THE STUDENT CONVERSE ON GRAVE BUT
DELIGHTFUL MATTERS.--THE STUDENT'S NOTION OF THE ONLY EARTHLY
HAPPINESS.

ARAM. If the witch Hope forbids us to be wise,
Yet when I turn to these--Woe's only friends,
And with their weird and eloquent voices calm
The stir and Babel of the world within,
I can but dream that my vex'd years at last
Shall find the quiet of a hermit's cell:--
And, neighbouring not this hacked and jaded world,
Beneath the lambent eyes of the loved stars,
And, with the hollow rocks and sparry caves,