THE NOONDAY EXCURSION ON THE CAMPANIAN SEAS

" BUT tell me, Glaucus," said Ione, as they glided down the rippling Sarnus in their boat of pleasure, "how how camest thou with Ap cides to my rescue from that bad man?"

"Ask Nydia yonder," answered the Athenian, pointing to the blind girl, who sat at a little distance from them, leaning pensively over her lyre ; "she must have thy thanks, not we. It seems that she came to my house, and finding me from home, sought thy brother in his temple; he accompanied her to Arbaces; on their way they encountered me, with a company of friends, whom thy kind letter had given me a spirit cheerful enough to join. Nydia's quick ear detected my voice a few words sufficed to make me the companion of Ap cides; I told not my associates why I left them could I trust thy name to their light tongues and gossiping opinion? Nydia a led us to the garden-gate, by which we afterward bore thee we entered, and were about to plunge into the mysteries of that evil house, when we heard thy cry in another direction. Thou knowest the rest."

Ione blushed deeply. She then raised her eyes to those of Glaucus, and he felt all the thanks she could not utter. Come hither, my Nydia," said she, tenderly to the Thessalian.

"Did I not tell thee that thou shouldst be my sister and friend? Hast thou not already been more? my guardian, my preserver."

It is nothing," answered Nydia, coldly, and without stirring.

"Ah! I forgot," continued Ione, I should come to thee;" and she moved along the benches till she reached the place where Nydia sat, and flinging her arms caressingly round her, covered her cheeks with kisses.

Nydia was that morning paler than her wont, and her countenance grew even more wan and colorless as she, submitted to the embrace of the beautiful Neapolitan."But how camest thou, Nydia," whispered Ione, " to surmise so faithfully the danger I was exposed to? Didst thou know aught of the Egyptian!

Yes, I knew of his vices."

And how?"

Noble Ione, I have been a slave to the vicious--those whom I served were his minions."

And thou hast entered his house, since thou knewest so well that private entrance?"

"I have played on my lyre to Arbaces," answered the Thessalian, with embarrassment.

And thou hast escaped the contagion from which thou hast saved Ione!" returned the Neapolitan, in a voice too low for the ear of Glaucus.

Noble Ione, I have neither beauty nor station; I am a child, and a slave, and blind. The despicable are ever safe."

It was with a pained, and proud, and indignant tone that Nydia made this humble reply; and Ione felt that she only wounded Nydia by pursuing the subject. She remained silent, and the bark now floated into the sea.

Confess that I was right, Ione," said Glaucus, "in prevailing on thee not to waste this beautiful noon in thy chamber confess that I was right."

Thou wert right, Glaucus," said Nydia, abruptly. "The dear child speaks for thee," returned the Athenian.

"But permit me to move opposite to thee, or our light boat will be overbalanced."

So saying, he took his seat exactly opposite to Ione, and leaning forward, he fancied that it was her breath, and not the winds of summer that flung fragrance over the sea.

"Thou wert to tell me," said Glaucus, " why for so many days thy door was closed to me?"

"Oh, think of it no more," answered Ione, quickly; gave my ear to what I now know was the malice of slander."

"And my slanderer was the Egyptian?"

Ione's silence assented to the question.

"His motives are sufficiently obvious."

"Talk not of him," said lone, covering her face with her hands as if to shut out his very thought.

Perhaps he may be already by the banks of the slow Styx," resumed Glaucus; "yet in that case we should probably have heard of his death. Thy brother, methinks, hath .felt the dark influence of his gloomy soul. When we arrived last night at thy house he left me abruptly. Will he ever vouchsafe to be my friend?"

"He is consumed with some secret care," answered Ione, fearfully. "Would that we could lure him from himself ! Let us join in that tender office."

" He shall be my brother," returned the Greek.

"How calmly," said Ione, rousing herself from the gloom into which her thoughts of Ap cides had plunged her, how calmly the clouds seem to repose in heaven; and yet you tell me, for I knew it not myself, that the earth shook beneath us last night."

"It did, and more violently, they say, than it has done since the great convulsion sixteen years ago; the land we live in yet nurses mysterious terror, and the reign of Pluto, which spreads beneath our burning fields, seems rent with unseen commotion. Didst thou not feel the earthquake, Nydia, where thou wert seated last night; and was it not the fear that it occasioned thee that made thee weep?"

"I felt the soil creep and heave beneath me, like some monstrous serpent," answered Nydia; "but as I saw nothing, I did not fear; I imagined the convulsion to be a spell of the Egyptian's. They say he has power over the elements."

"Thou art a Thessalian, my Nydia," replied Glaucus, and hast a national right to believe in magic."

"Magic! who doubts it?" answered Nydia, simply; dost thou?"

" Until last night (when a necromantic prodigy did indeed appal me), methinks I was not credulous in any other magic save that of love!" said Glaucus, in a tremuous voice, and fixing his eyes on Ione.

Ah! said Nydia, with a sort of shiver, and she awoke mechanically a few pleasing notes from her lyre; the sound Stilted well the tranquility of the waters and the sunny stillness of the noon.

"Play to us, dear Nydia," said Glaucus, "play, and give us one of thine old Thessalian songs; whether it be of magic or not, as thou wilt let it, at least, be of love!"

" Of love!" repeated Nydia, raising her large, wandering eyes that ever thrilled those who saw them with a mingled fear and pity; you could never familiarize yourself to their aspect, so strange did it seem that those dark, wild orbs were ignorant of the day, and either so fixed was their deep, mysterious gaze, or so restless and perturbed their glance, that you felt when you encountered them that same vague, and chilling, and half-preternatural impression which comes over you in the presence of the insane of those who having a life outwardly like your own, have a life within life dissimilar unsearchable - unguessed!

" Will you that I should sing of love?" said she, fixing those eyes upon Glaucus.

Yes," replied he, looking down.

She moved a little way from the arm of Ione, still cast round her, as if that soft embrace embarrassed : and placing her light and graceful instrument on her knee, after a short prelude, she sang the following strain:

NYDIA'S LOVE-SONG.

I.

The Wind and the Beam loved the Rose,

And the Rose loved one ;

For who reeks the wind where it blows?

Or loves not the sun?

II.

None knew whence the humble Wind stole,

Poor sport of the skies-

None dreamt that the Wind had a soul,

In its mournful sighs !

III.

Oh, happy Beam ! how canst thou prove,

That bright love of thine?

In thy light is the proof of thy love,

Thou hast but to shine !

IV.

How its love can the Wind reveal?

Unwelcome its sigh;

Mute mute to its Rose let it steal-

Its proof is to die !

Thou singest but sadly, sweet girl," said Glaucus "thy youth only feels as yet the dark shadow of Love ; far other inspiration doth he wake, when he himself bursts and brightens upon us."

I sing as I was taught," replied Nydia, sighing.

Thy master was love-crossed then try thy hand at a gayer air. Nay, girl, give the instrument to me." As Nydia obeyed, her hand touched his, and, with that slight touch, her breast heaved her cheek flushed. Ione and Glaucus, occupied with each other, perceived not those signs of strange and premature emotions, which preyed upon a heart that, nourished by imagination, dispensed with hope.