Produced by Darleen Dove, Roger Frank, Matthew Wheaton and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net The Hill of Venus [Illustration: "He stared spellbound" (_See page 108_)] THE HILL OF VENUS BY _NATHAN GALLIZIER_ AUTHOR OF "Castel del Monte," "The Sorceress of Rome," and "The Court of Lucifer" PICTURES BY E. H. GARRETT DECORATIONS BY P. VERBURG L. G. PAGE & COMPANY BOSTON MDCCCCXIII _Copyright, 1913_ BY L. C. PAGE & COMPANY (INCORPORATED) _All rights reserved_ First Impression, March, 1913 THE COLONIAL PRESS C. H. SIMONDS & CO., BOSTON, U. S. A. "_Thou art all shrouded, in a gauzy veil, Sombrous and cloudlike, all except that face Of subtle loveliness, though weirdly pale. Thy soft, slow-gliding footsteps leave no trace And stir no sound. Thy drooping hands infold Their frail white fingers, and unconscious hold A poppy-wreath: thine anodyne of grace._ _Thy hair is like a twilight round thy head, Thine eyes are shadowed wells from Lethe-stream, With drowsy, subterranean waters fed; Obscurely deep without a stir or gleam. The gazer drinks in from them with his gaze An opiate charm, to curtain all his days, A passive languor of oblivious dream._" --_JAMES THOMSON._ CONTENTS BOOK THE FIRST The Sacrifice I. The Summons II. The Pledge III. Vistas IV. Proserpina V. Waves of Destiny VI. The Broken Troth VII. The Passage BOOK THE SECOND The Pilgrimage I. The Vigil of Santa Maria Assunta II. The Passing of Conradino III. Tonsure and Thorn IV. The Call V. The Dells of Vallombrosa VI. The Duke of Spoleto VII. Rome! BOOK THE THIRD The Bondage I. The White Lady II. The Feast at the Capitol III. Quaint Wayfarers IV. The Pawn of the Church V. The Red Tower BOOK THE FOURTH The Passion I. Siren Land II. The Lady of Shadows III. An Interlude IV. The Hill of Venus V. Twilight Waters VI. The Crimson Night BOOK THE FIFTH The Apostacy I. A Legend II. Memories III. The Grail of Love IV. Dead Leaves V. The Abbey of Farfa VI. Retribution VII. The Quest VIII. The Anchoress of Narni IX. The Dawn LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS "He stared spellbound" "Ilaria had interposed herself between the two" "He caught her to him with all the old-time love" "'They lied,' he cried. 'Give me but life'" Book the First THE SACRIFICE The Hill of Venus BOOK THE FIRST CHAPTER I THE SUMMONS It was the time of the summer solstice in the year 1266.