The Nemesis: A Tale Of The Days Of Trajan.

fume still lingered upon the air . Fruit trees Avere plentiful , the orange , the fig , the cherry , and the date finding there congenial soil . Everything displayed the rich , but , at the same time , the chaste taste of the Athenian . Adrian was lost in

admiration of the gardens , and gazed Avith rapture upon a scene Avhich he could not have believed Eome capable of displaying . And his eye wandered from the fair scene to the gentle girl by his side , and he sighed as he thought of the abandoned characters of those to whom , she owed her

origin . They had stopped in the centre of the garden , and Myra , pointing - to a lust , said : " There is a head much admired . It is Jupiter , is the workmanship of Praxiteles . " "'Tis exquisitely and truthfully delineated , "

said the Roman . Dost thou remember Greece ?" " Ah ! Avhoever can forget their native land ?" replied Myra with a sigh . " My heart often flies back on eagle's Avings to Grecia ' s noble plains , to the spots Avhere my childhood's sunny hours sped

on , and days ABAV past on light glad wings . " " Yet thou ai-t happy here ?" " Do years bring - happiness , experience keep the full flush still upon the clew decked rose ?

Hast thou , then , found out the real true happiness , and art thou happy ?" " I ? " answered Adrian , someAvhat taken aback by this appeal . " I am a man , and one left early alone upon the world , for my mother died at the

moment of my birth , and my father Avas little qualified to take her place , so that I may say truly I was left alone upon the Avorld . I have sought out all the mystery of life , and found it like a holloAV nut , full of bitter dust . But thou hast thy

joys , thy father , sister , and thine aunt to love . Yet I am unjust in saying that I am alone , for I have one true friend , Avhose heart beats sympathetically with mine—my cousin Cains . His ear knoAVS all my thoughts almost as soon as they form themselves . "

" Then thou art happy . I have no such friend in my home . " "If that an utter stranger dare presume to offer thee a counsel , seek for comfort from the gods . "

" The gods ! " answered Myra , with ineffable scorn , " Avhich of all the Pantheon's gods would listen to the prayer of a daughter of Murtius ?" " Ha ! " exclaimed Adrian , " then this rumour of the people is true . "

Taking her hand in his , he added : "And thou hast reason to be sad indeed , although innocent and free from blame thyself . But is the sin so vile ? can all these rumours be true ? for rumour is , after all , but a many-tongued

liar . " " Believe the Avorst they say of us , " answered Myra , Avith a sad weary look in her eyes , withdrawing her hand from the clasp of her companion , " and thou wilt know the best of us . "

"Never , by heaven ! " cried Adrian fervently , " will I believe that thou art otherwise than pureand free from every taint of sin , as is the childunborn . Truth beams from every feature of thy countenance , and innocence sits

throned upon thy sunny broAV . Heaven has given thee a shield to protect thee from from the darts of sin . "

A pleased expression flashed for an instant in Myra ' s eyes , but only for au instant . The nextmoment the weary look came back , as she said mournfully : "Heaven yields me comfort , and the blessed '

hope of that eternal peace beyond the grave /'' " And yet thou comest not nigh the shrine of a god . " "The shrine of a god I come not nigh , but the , the only God , that God AVIIO formed the earth ,

yon sky , the sea , man , life and death , reigns inmy heart , and tells me of the glad tidings of a better Avorld . "

Adrian gazed m astonishment upon the young girl as she spoke . " This is not frenzy , " he said , " for thy words , though vague , speak to my heart in accents of thetruth . Who is this God , for Jove it cannot be ?

He never made the heavens , or earth , or man . 0 tell me , if thou canst , for among this multitude of divers-powered gods I search in vain for one who is above them all , Avhose Avord is felt from shore to shore , from life to death . Dost thou knoAV this One , this True , Great , All-poAverfuli God ?"

"I do . " " Then tell me of Him . " " Alas ! I am all unfit to speak of Him , my Lord , my God , my Saviour . I only feel His presence in my heart , and His SAveet voice

whispering comfort in mine ears in the hours of my bitter sadness . Yet , if thou could ' st desire to know more of Him "—she paused and looked at Adrian , earnestly— " thou art noble , thou Avould ' stnot take .