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Show 410 THE=: !.I T.Y AND THF. TOTF.M. nearly at the summit. I tell you, hrotbcr, we nrc almost at tire portals of that wondrous city. Once I doubted there were such city, but I have &Jcn glimpses of tolc-crt<1 and mcthonght but now I bclJCld the window in a turret from whieh a fair womnn wn~ looking forth. Sec now t J,ook you to the right-there whri"C you sec the morrntAin sink as it wrrc, tiH'n 1mddcnly rise ngnin, thn slopes leading gently up to a tower and n. wall. The evening sunlight rests upon it. You fiCC it is of a dusky white, nml the window sl1ows clearly throngh the stone, nnd some Ontl moves within it. Dost thou sec, my brother ~" " I sec nothing but the ~ky nnd ocean. It is the wntcrs that roll nbout us." " It is the winds that you hear, ns they S1vccp down from yonder mountains. But where I point your ('yes is certainly a tower, a great Cll.'ltle-no doubt one that commands the ascent to the mountains." "Brother, this iS so sweet!" "What?" " Ah ! what a blessed fortune ! Escaped from the bloody Spaniard, afar from the inhospitable land of the Floridian, to sec once more these sweet waters and the well-known places.'' " What waters? What places?" " Do you know them not-our own Seine and the cottage, Alphonse? !I a! ha! there they nrc ! I knew they would come forth. Old Ulrich leads them; and Bertha is there, and brings little Etienne by the hand. And, ah' ha! ba! Joy, mother, we nrc come again !" " He dreams ! he dreams ! Ir thus he dies, with such a dream, there can be no pain in it. Let him dream ! lot him dream !" And Alphonse D'Erla('h hn<~t('nrd tn kindle the flames, and he AI.PIION!H: D1F.Iti.ACH. 411 tore from his own body the garment to warm his dying brother ; and he clasped his hands convulsively as he listened to the faint an~ broken words that fell from his lips, subsiding at lll.'lt into, Mother, we nrc come!" And then he lay speechlcsa. The younger brother turned away, nnd looked yearningly to the mountains. " If I can only reach yon castle, he should be saved. It is not so far ! but this valley to cross-but that low rnnge of rocks to overcome. It shall be done. I will but cover him warmly with leaves and throw fresh brands upon the fire, and before night I shall return with help." And he did as he snid. He threw fresh brands upon the fire; he wrapped the senseless form of l1is brother in leaves and moss; and, stooping down, grasped his hand and printed a long, last kiss upon his lips. The eyes of the dying man opened, but they were fixed and glassy. But Alphonse saw not the look. His own eyes were upon tho castellated mountain. Tic sped away, feebly but eagerly, and as he descended into the valley, he looked back ever nnd anon ; and as he looked, his voice, almost in whispers, would repeat the words-" Keep in heart, brother, I will bring you help ;" and thus he sped from the Sdtlno. The day waned rapidly, but still the young Alphonse sped upon his mission. He crosaed the plain ; he urged his progress up the ridgy masses that formed the foreground to the great cliffs from which the castled towers still appeared to loom forth upon his sight. He cast a momentary glance upon the sun, wan, sinking with a misty halll among th<> top11 of the p.Teat 11en-likc mountains |