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186 and irregular beating, and could scarcely restrain a start of dread at the peculiar murmur in the chest. Every breath was difficult even to pain.

He was roused from his brief rest by a violent fit of coughing, which seemed to shake the whole system. It was one which in England is so simply, yet so emphatically, denominated a churchyard cough. It was hollow, like the echo of the grave. Francesca could not trust her voice with an inquiry.

At this moment a sailor entered to summon them on deck. "We are in the middle of the Southampton waters, and shall land in half an hour. I thought you would like to see the coast, and it will soon be dark."

Guido rose eagerly, and followed the man, when Francesca had translated the words, for she understood the language much more readily than he did. The sailor, when they reached the deck, good-naturedly offered a great-coat to Guido, for, though fine, the air was chill, and he observed that the young foreigner shivered as he came up.

"How beautiful!" exclaimed they, as they leant over the side of the vessel; and beautiful, indeed, it was.

On one side was Hampshire, whose dark outline was in shadow; on the other, the green and