On the third morning after our visit to the school of the ninyetas, the prætor and the tribune teachers with Correliana and her mother called at the quarters of the corps, to escort M. Hollydorf to the prætorial colonnades, as the husband elect of Luocuratia, for the fulfillment of his probationary term. After receiving the congratulations of adoption from the Heracleans, all joined in the matin song of thanksgiving in the lower fora. While the prætor and his wife were absent, aiding Luocuratia in her valedictory salutations, M. Hollydorf was entertained by Correliana and the Doschessa. In order that he might perfectly understand the premeditated process of transfer, and security achieved, Correliana stated: “The Dosch had auramentally learned your determination to make Heraclea your home three months ago, and suggested the apt adoption of your peculiarities to her disposition; but until convinced of your constancy to our customs he advised the course we have pursued. The result of your trial has proved of happier import than we anticipated, as well as of Luocuratia’s ready infilmentary adaptation for the unity of impression; but now you can rest assured that her thoughts have already become interwoven in desire with your own, so that your example will be held paramount to ours. After the bewildering maze your presence caused was dispelled, her thoughts were directed for the shadowy investment of your image with her own as a prelude for more perfect realization, with a success which imparted a trust free from doubt or fear in question of its fulfillment; in this mood I left her, promising to visit her in the evening. In keeping with my appointment, I found her awaiting my coming in the garden, in full confidence that, with my aid, whatever there might be of mystery to her veiled comprehension would be cleared for her perception’s perfect understanding. With an endearing caress, fluttering with the timidity of a newborn joy, her eyes drooping in tremulous expectation, were filled to fullness with happy anticipations, as she leaned her head upon my shoulder, invoking with attentive silence my aid for the full interpretation of her waking vision. That she might taste the cup of my own realized joy, without tantalizing prelude, I rehearsed your confided doubts and fears as the counterpart of her own, the while encircling her waist with my arm, in support of her head’s nestling repose, that the body’s medium of a sister’s affection might more fully open to her the gates of revelation; then to the trama of her love I interwove, through the shuttled impulses of her ear, the vibrating threads of your affection, until they became involved with the stamina of your stronger nature; then the rustling sigh of relief bespoke the double investment complete in the unity of confiding reciprocation. This accomplished, inasmuch as the agency of my influence could represent the responsive source of sexual alliance, for the embodiment of affection, she became