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BY ORDER OF THE CZAR. 315

now that he had built a number of fresh castles in the air, and with every prospect, as it seemed to him, of their realization, an exposition of sleep came over him ; and the man who never lost his head, according to Cordiner (who never took the heart into consideration), went to bed, and when he awoke after eight hours he thought he had not closed his eyes for more than a minute, though he felt won- derfully refreshed.

Meanwhile the last festal lamps were flickering out in Venice. Old Time, the scene-shifter, was preparing for further strange developments of this present drama of love and vengeance, of comedy incidents and tragic situations.

CHAPTER XLI.

EXIT PHILIP FORSYTH : ENTER SAM SWYNFORD.

" THE sooner we leave Venice the better," said Mrs. Mil- banke to her devoted and genial partner. " Whether Mr. Forsyth remains or not is of no moment to us : we have done with Philip Forsyth forever, and I think we are well out of him."

" I suppose so," said Walter, lighting a cigar, and looking contemplatively across the lagoon. " I'm not sure, my dear."

" I think I am."

" It is all very sudden and very different from what we arranged."

" It is," said Jenny, taking a seat by his side and casting her eyes in the same direction, but speaking as if she were addressing an imaginary Walter somewhere' in the neighborhood of the Lido."

They were sitting in the open balcony under a pleasant awning, the sun dancing upon the water beneath them.