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Hesperia in the light of an obscure state or moderatesized town
somewhere in the north of Europe.
Harry was balked in his inclination to laugh; the rising smile was
checked upon his lip, just in time, by a glance from his chief, severely
authoritative.
Italy? the latter said, without a muscle moving; well, I shouldn't
advise you to stay long there. It's rather a small place, and very
stupid; no society whatever. The others will amuse you, as you have
never seen them.
He rose as he spoke the last words. Perhaps he thought he had done that
night enough for profit and more than enough for glory. The Cool
Captain seldom suffered himself to be bored without an adequate object
very clearly in view.
Hal, I am going to turn you out. It is far too late for you to be
sitting up, and we have a good deal to do tomorrow.
Molyneux did not quite comprehend what extraordinary labors were before
any of them, but he rose without making an objection, and Tresilyan
prepared to accompany him. Dick considered that individually he had been
remarkably brilliant, and had left a favorable impression behind him.
But all this newlyacquired confidence, and much strong drink were not
sufficient to embolden him to risk, as yet, a _teteatete_ with Royston
Keene.
Long after they had departed the major sat gazing steadfastly at the
logs burning on the hearth. If he had gone straight to bed, the enormous
dullness of one of the party would have weighed him down like a
nightmare.
Is there one of us who can not remember having seen prettier pictures in
a flamecolored setting than the Royal Academy has ever shown him? What
earthly painter could emulate or imitate the coquettish caprice of light
and shadow, that enhances the charms, and dissembles all possible
defects in those fair, fleeting Fiamminas? Something like this effect
was to be found in the miniatures that were in fashion a dozen years
ago; where part only of a sweet face and a dangerously eloquent eye
looked at you out of a wreath of dusky cloud, that shrouded all the rest
and gave your imagination play. Truly it was not so utterly wrong, the
ancient legend that wedded Hephaestus to Aphrodite. The Minnesingers and
their coevals spoke fairly enough about Love, and probably had studied
their subject; but, rely upon it, passionate Romance died in Germany
when once the close stoves prevailed. Don't you envy the imagination of
the dreamer who could trace a shape of loveliness in those dreadful
glazed tiles?
Being rather a _Guebre_ myself, I once got enthusiastic on the subject
in the company of an eccentric character, who very soon made me repent
my expansiveness. If he had committed any atrocious crime (he was a
small sandyhaired creature, and wore colored spectacles), no one knew
of it, and he never hinted at its nature; but his whole ideas seemed

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