His youth, his vanity, and a restless daring and thirst of adventure had from time to time involved him in dangers and dilemmas, out of which, of late, he had always extricated himself with the ingenious felicity of a clever head and cool heart.

He had left England for Rome with the avowed purpose and sincere resolution of studying the divine masterpieces of art; but pleasure had soon allured him from ambition, and he quitted the gloomy palaces of Rome for the gay shores and animated revelries of Naples.

Here he had fallen in love--deeply in love, as he said and thought--with a young person celebrated at Naples, Isabel di Pisani.

She was the only daughter of an Italian by an English mother.

The father had known better days; in his prosperity he had travelled, and won in England the affections of a lady of some fortune.