Previous to this event, however, the aristocrats of the seven-hilled city were startled by two pieces of news which for a long time formed the topic of daily conversation. One was the sudden disappearance of the Chaldean magician, who had sold all his estates, as well as the palace furnished with Oriental splendor on the Quirinal, and left Rome without bidding any one farewell; the other was the suicide of Agathon, who had opened his veins in the warm bath of his own house, which had been mortgaged far beyond its value. [Illustration] FOOTNOTE: [7] Drawing-room. * * * * * ADVERTISEMENTS =THE WILL.=--A NOVEL, by =Ernst Eckstein=, from the German by Clara Bell, in two vols. Paper, $1.00 Cloth, $1.75 per set. “Since the appearance of ‘Debit and Credit’ we have not seen a German novel that can rank, in the line struck out by that famous work, with ‘The Will,’ by Ernst Eckstein. It is a vivid picture of German city life, and the characters, whether quaint, commonplace, tragical, or a mixture of all three, are admirably drawn. All the German carefulness is in Eckstein’s work, but there is besides a sparkle and _verve_ entirely French--and French of the best kind.”--_Catholic Mirror, Baltimore._ “The chief value of the book is in its well-drawn and strong pictures of life in both German cities and villages, and Clara Bell, has, as usual, proved herself a mistress of the German Tongue.”--_Sunday Star, Providence._ “Ernst Eckstein, hitherto known as a writer of classical romance, now tries his hand upon a _genre_ story of German life. To our mind, it is his most successful work.”--_Bulletin, San Francisco, Cal._ “The present work is entitled ‘The Will,’ and is written by Ernst Eckstein, the author of the striking historical novel, Quintus Claudius. The name of Clara Bell as the translator from the German is assurance enough of the excellence of its rendering into English. The plot of the story is not a novel one, but it is skillfully executed, and the whole tale is developed with much dramatic power.”--_Boston Zion’s Herald._ “‘The Will,’ by Eckstein, is the latest and best work of its author. The scene, the people, the events of the story are new, the plot is ingenious, and the action rapid and exciting enough to please the most jaded novel reader. The character of schoolmaster Heinzius would alone make the reputation of a new writer, and there are other sketches from life none the less masterly. Ernst Eckstein excels in heroines, of whom there are several in the book--all clearly defined--contending for the sympathy of the reader.”--_The Journal of Commerce, New York._ * * * * * =PRUSIAS.=--A Romance of Ancient Rome under the Republic, by =Ernst Eckstein=, from the German by Clara Bell. Authorized edition. In two vols. Paper, $1.00. Cloth, $1.75.