“Monsieur smiled; he looked pleased, but said nothing; I presume he was afraid of spoiling me by too much praise. At this moment, a domestic entered, bearing a tray of refreshments, and conversation for the moment was postponed.
“Madame took me into her pretty garden, and showed me her birds and flowers. She gathered me a bouquet of choice flowers, which I afterwards placed in water. When I went to my room at night, she told me she was the widow of an Italian army officer, and now lived upon an annuity paid her by government; she never had any children, and felicitated herself upon my visit, as that of a companion and friend. She was not intellectual, nor pretty now, but kind-hearted and sincere, and sincerity and goodness are certainly attractive. I did not in return confide to her the details of my childhood, for I could not have done so without humbling myself in my own, and in her esteem, and my pride would not allow me to do that, but I spoke on general subjects; of the city, its beautiful scenery, and splendid buildings, and of the beauty of the peasantry I had seen as I journeyed toward it. On these subjects the enthusiastic Italian was at home, for the Neapolitans are desperately enamoured of their own lovely land. We passed an hour in pleasant conversation, then returned to the parlor, where tea was served; my teacher favored us with a song; he sang magnificently; and I also sang a duet with him, which elicited Madame’s raptures. At ten o’clock, we retired to rest, I felt almost worn out with fatigue; the lady conducted me up stairs, to a neat little chamber opposite her own.
“‘I hope this room will suit you,’ said the kind-hearted woman, as she followed me into it; ‘if you want anything, pray ring the bell and my servant will attend you; I know you must long to go to rest, after so long a journey, so I will not tire you by conversation. Good night, my child.’
“‘Good night,’ I replied. The door closed, and I was left alone; I set my little lamp in the fire-place, and after I had undressed and repeated the rosary, I stepped into the pretty bed, draperied with white, and drew its curtains close around me. I could scarcely realize that I was not in Madame Schiller’s dormitory; and, at dawn, I started suddenly from my slumber, imagining I heard her voice calling the girls to rise. Finding myself wide awake, I thought I would get up, and did so; all was quiet in the house, no one stirring; faint hues of morning sun were rising slowly in the East. I heard the sound of deep, sonorous breathing, as I passed a door at the head of the stairs, which I justly concluded were the nocturnal tones of my guardian. I went into the parlor, and finding on a table an interesting novel, took it in my hand, and sought the garden; under a wide-spreading Acacia tree, I sat down upon a rustic bench; I saw an old female domestic making a fire in the kitchen, and beginning to prepare breakfast; I looked at her as she moved about, and wondered if I should ever live to become as old and ugly as she; if my cheeks, now so round and firm, should become shriveled and hanging like pieces of dried skin; my form, attenuated and hideous; my hair turn gray and fall out, and my eyes watery and blinking, like those of a sick lap-dog; yet it was natural to suppose, that in the course of nature all those things would come to pass. We see those who have once been handsome and intellectual, grow ugly, old, and stupid; their beauty fades away like a fleeting dream; their intellect declines with the vigor of body which supported it. If mind is soul, and if the soul is immortal, should we not reasonably suppose, that this etherial principal would preserve itself bright and untarnished from the gathering gloom of years; that time, instead of dimming, would only add new glories to its spiritual splendor; but these thoughts were then too metaphysical for my youthful comprehension.
“While thus I mused, the sun had risen high, and his bright rays fell across the gravel walk where I sat; I heard footsteps in the vestibule, and looking up, saw Madame Bonni attired in a white muslin wrapper; she perceived me, and came into the garden.
“‘Why, my child, you are indeed an early riser,’ was her morning salutation; ‘I expected you would sleep late after your journey; but you look refreshed, and I am happy to see it.’
“‘At school, we always rose at dawn of day; from habit, I awake early, and prefer spending the sweet morning hours in reading, rather than waste them in slumber.’
“‘You are right in doing so; when I was young I was fond of reading too, but since I have advanced in life, its busy cares have banished literature and romance from my mind.’
“The old woman whom I had observed, now came to her mistress, and announced that breakfast was ready; I followed Madame to the dining-room; we sat down to a comfortable breakfast, served with exquisite neatness. Monsieur joined us in a few minutes: he was yawning, and expressed himself as feeling very dull; and, in fact, his appearance fully corroborated the assertion.