People would rather go to sleep over classical music than confess they don't like it." "Schubert would have been a grander master than Beethoven, if he had only lived long enough," said Zara; "but I dare say very few will agree with me in such an assertion.

Unfortunately most of my opinions differ from those of everyone else." "You should say FORTUNATELY, madame," said Colonel Everard, bowing gallantly; "as the circumstance has the happy result of making you perfectly original as well as perfectly charming." Zara received this compliment with her usual sweet equanimity, and we rose to take our leave.

As we were passing out, Amy Everard drew me back and crammed into the pocket of my cloak a newspaper.
"Read it when you are alone," she whispered; "and you will see what Raffaello Cellini has done with the sketch he made of you." We parted from these pleasant Americans with cordial expressions of goodwill, Zara reminding them of their engagement to visit her at her own home next day, and fixing the dinner-hour for half-past seven.
On our return to the Hotel Mars, we found Heliobas in the drawing-room, deep in converse with a Catholic priest--a fine-looking man of venerable and noble features.

Zara addressed him as "Father Paul," and bent humbly before him to receive his blessing, which he gave her with almost parental tenderness.

He seemed, from his familiar manner with them, to be a very old friend of the family.
On my being introduced to him, he greeted me with gentle courtesy, and gave me also his simple unaffected benediction.