Her eyes wandered to the far-off hills.

Ah! Could it be that he would ever tire of her and wished that he had married some one like himself.

The very thought pierced her heart, and the timid young wife sat with a sorrowful look upon her face that took away all its simple beauty.
"I will show you a sketch of the costume," said the countess; "it is in my desk.

Pray excuse me." She was gone in an instant, and Dora was alone with her husband.
"For Heaven's sake, Dora," he said, quickly, "do look a little brighter; what will the countess think of you?
You look like a frightened school girl." It was an injudicious speech.

If Ronald had only caressed her, all would have been sunshine again; as it was, the first impatient words she had ever heard from him smote her with a new, strange pain, and the tears overflowed.
"Do not--pray--never do that," said Ronald; "we shall be the laughing stock of all Florence.