"But the young gentlemen don't;" said Hubert, as he stood leaning on the harp. "I am very sorry," said Miss Gage laughing, "I cannot arrange it to please all parties; but in society where every one is anxious to play a prominent part, I feel it to be a real kindness not to take up their time by my performances." "Don't you think Bessy spoils me?" asked Captain Gage of Margaret, as his daughter found the place in his book, and arranged the wax lights beside his chair. She had not courage to make any other reply than a blush and a laugh. "After all, Bessy, I am half tired of this book," said Captain Gage, "I shall never have patience to get through it. Have you seen it?" he asked, holding out the volume to Margaret. It was the 'Tour to the Sepulchres of Etruria.' She could hardly read it aright in her impatience. Here was undoubtedly all she wanted to know--she would be able to find out at last who the Etruscans were. Elizabeth smiled, and told her when her father had made up his mind not to finish it, which she foresaw would be very soon, she would send it to her. "But," she said, "you must not expect too much; this is an account of a lady's visit to some tombs. There is but little information regarding the people, except what may be inferred from the degree of excellence they displayed in the decoration of their sepulchres." "But you know, Bessy," said her brother, "that a people's progress in art is the best standard you can have of their degree of civilization." "Yes; if you had looked upon them as a barbarous race," said Miss Gage to Margaret, "you will find sufficient proof in this book that you had not done them justice." "Why, Bessy," said Hubert, "no Ph[oe]nician colony ever was, or could be, in a state of barbarism." "Assuming that they were Ph[oe]nicians," said Elizabeth. "There can be no doubt of that," returned her brother, "their character is sufficient evidence of their origin. The old Greek character, written from right to left, after the fashion of the Ph[oe]nicians." Elizabeth unlocked a cabinet, and took out a gold serpent-ring--she showed it to Margaret as an undoubted Etruscan relic, which her brother had brought her from Rome. Margaret looked at it with great reverence--it was thick and heavy, and the gold was of a dull colour--not like the bright trinkets in a jeweller's shop; but it was delightful to hold in her hand something that was two thousand years old. Miss Gage went on to talk of the circlets of gold leaves found in some of the tombs; of the city of C[oe]re, and the origin of the Vestal Virgins; and the degree of religious knowledge enjoyed by the Etruscans; and Hubert took pencil and paper, and sketched for Margaret one of the allegorical processions painted on the wall in the tombs; taking care to exaggerate, as much as possible, the evil spirits which figure in those decorations.