A light laugh broke in upon the scenes of enchantment, with the words, "Of course not, for she was a quadroon." Then the plaintive melody of "Toll the bell" resounded in his ears; not afar off, but loud and clear, as if the singer were in the room.

He woke with a start, and heard the vibrations of a cathedral bell subsiding into silence.

It had struck but twice, but in his spiritual ear the sounds had been modulated through many tones.

"Even thus strangely," thought he, "has that rich, sonorous voice struck into the dream of my life," Again he saw those large, lustrous eyes lowering their long-fringed veils under the ardent gaze of Gerald Fitzgerald.

Again he thought of his mother, and sighed.