'Of Endymion, did you say?' she asked, withdrawing from her fathers arm, and taking hold of the free end of the paper with a hand that quivered a little, though her voice was steady. 'And this is like it?' 'Except this, and this,' answered I, indicating certain parts of the design, 'it might have been copied directly from the bas-relief.' 'But in those parts the sketch is original, eh?' put in my uncle. 'No--not even there,' I replied; 'and that is what puzzled me. There is another design of an Endymion--an Egyptian or an Assyrian one, I forget which--but at any rate it was evidently the model of the Greek, and of course immensely more ancient. Now, though the two designs--the older and the later one--closely resemble each other in the main, there are two or three marked points of difference; and this drawing, following as it does the ancient version in those points, while in its general style it takes more after the Greek, seems to be a sort of combination of them both. Certainly,' I added, 'it is more life-like and natural than either. Where did you get it?' 'It's one of your cousin's performances,' said my uncle, carelessly. 'You have been in Europe, then?' I demanded of her, surprised. 'No!' she answered softly, with an in-drawing of the breath. 'How strange, then, that you should have independently hit upon so wonderful a likeness!' I exclaimed. 'I am more puzzled than before!' 'It is strange! and yet,' said she, with an unfathomable look in her hazel eyes, 'perhaps I may have copied it from an original older than either the Grecian or the Egyptian! Cousin Will, do you remember the faces? were they alike in both? and was there anything--anything noticeable in the features?' It seemed to me that these last questions were asked with an especial earnestness which her low utterance could not wholly conceal. Whether or not my answer relieved her suspense I could not determine. 'No, they were not alike,' I said: 'and so far as I remember there was nothing remarkable about either of them. They simply followed the ordinary classical type of their several schools.' 'I have made a separate study of a head and face for my drawing,' she remarked, after a pause. 'Some time, perhaps, you will see it. But now, if you are ready, we will go up to the observatory.' 'Meanwhile I shall have another cigar on the balcony,' said my uncle. 'If you should wish to join me any time during the next hour or two, nephew, you will find me there.' He grasped my hand for a moment, and then I followed Diana out of the room. VI. We were at the top of the tower staircase. Diana pressed against a panel at the side of the door, and it swung inwards on its hinges, easily and yet ponderously. We entered, and I found myself in a tiny antechamber, with a heavy curtain of embroidered leather in front of me. This Diana pushed aside sufficiently for me to pass on to the room beyond, while she closed the door behind.