That is--I don't mean good, but it would have made you cry too, as they tell me.' 'Well, but, Annette, do tell me the substance of your tale.' 'All in good time, ma'am; all this I heard before at Venice, but what is to come I never heard till to-day.

This happened a great many years ago, when Signor Montoni was quite a young man.

The lady--they called her Signora Laurentini, was very handsome, but she used to be in great passions, too, sometimes, as well as the Signor.

Finding he could not make her listen to him--what does he do, but leave the castle, and never comes near it for a long time! but it was all one to her; she was just as unhappy whether he was here or not, till one evening, Holy St.Peter! ma'amselle,' cried Annette, 'look at that lamp, see how blue it burns!' She looked fearfully round the chamber.

'Ridiculous girl!' said Emily, 'why will you indulge those fancies?
Pray let me hear the end of your story, I am weary.' Annette still kept her eyes on the lamp, and proceeded in a lower voice.
'It was one evening, they say, at the latter end of the year, it might be about the middle of September, I suppose, or the beginning of October; nay, for that matter, it might be November, for that, too, is the latter end of the year, but that I cannot say for certain, because they did not tell me for certain themselves.