were crackling merrily in the "iron pot.' A pleasant warmth diffused itself through my territory, and the Attic Boreas, who entered freely through the wide cracks of the windows, and had hitherto made my rooms uncomfortably airy, now found himself fairly vanquished by my native auxiliary. I was overjoyed in its possession, for a few cold days in this southern land are much more unbearable than whole weeks of frost and snow at the foot of the Bavarian Highlands. My pleasure was shared by my servant Jorgi, who at first sight had contemned the stove, but was now an ardent admirer, and seemed anxious to make up for the contempt with which he had first treated the new-comer, by saying all the most flattering things he could think of.

It seemed only fair to invite Kyria Maria to participate in this household event, so I begged her to come and see me soon in my warm room, an invitation which she seemed not at all unwilling to accept. I had a presentiment that she would not come alone, and I looked forward hopefully to the visit.

The evening came-a cold and stormy one. Kyria Maria appeared at my door with somewhat hesitating steps, but a friendly smile. She was not alone. She had brought the lovely Irene with her. I received the two Athenian ladies with all the courtesy and grace I could command, but found it difficult to muster words enough to express the pleasure I felt at their visit. We sat down, and when the usual interminable inquiries after our mutual health were ended, Kyria Maria began to let her eyes roam inquiringly over my room. At last they rested on the stove.

"Truly," said she, "you Franks have everything you require to

make life delightful. You will now no longer fear the ice and snow of winter, Kyr Ludovike; for though I should never have believed it, that thing makes your room so warm that no frost will be able to enter. As for us, we often sit whole days at our hearth down below, rubbing our numbed hands, and freezing till our teeth chatter. The Franks are certainly a happy nation."

"I am very glad, Kyria Maria," I answered, "that you like my room, and I hope you will often come up in cold weather and warm yourself. And your niece will come too, will she not?" I added, looking towards Irene.

"I daresay we shall often come to see you, now that we have got to know you," Irene said simply, looking at me with her large gazelle-like eyes.

"Indeed, Irene," interrupted her aunt, "we cannot often. What would men say if, when they came to pay visits to Kyr Ludovikos, they found us women here? No, that will not do. But," turning to me, "do us the honour to come and talk with us at our own hearth as often as you can, for you must be able to tell us about many things. If I understood the language of the Franks, I would talk to them all day long. Look, Irene," she added, "how beautiful this furniture and these books and things are! They are not made in our country any more than the Ofeni which has been sent here from over the seas. The Franks must be wise people."

"Some are, Kyria Maria,," I rejoined; "but you meet them of all sorts."

"What! both wise and foolish? And I daresay some are bad and some are good. People hereabouts say they are all bad; but I feel sure there would be here and there one I should like."

always thought

"No, no," said Kyria Maria, decisively. "She talks so much nonsense, it's not worth listening to. But I may assure you, Kyr Ludovike, that so far as you your self are concerned, we have from the beginning had the greatest respect for you.

"And you too, Irene ?" I asked. "To be sure," she replied, smil

ing.

Why, then, did you always hide yourself when I passed through the courtyard ?"

"I was too timid, Kyr Ludovike; I did not dare to look at you.'

"And now you are not afraid to look at me?"

"Not when my aunt is by me." Her aunt looked at her severely; she blushed, and I began at once to talk industriously of other things.

Our conversation lasted a long time, and ended with the heartiest assurances on both sides of esteem and friendship. I accompanied the ladies to the head of the stairs, where as we parted, a fresh renewal of civilities took place. The aunt said, Las pozʊv@-literally, I lay myself at your feet- an expression you hear perpetually. The niece chose a different form, which, though quite as usual, sounded far sweeter to my ears. She murmured, hardly above her breathΝὰ μᾶς ἀγαπας (Keep us in your heart); to which I gladly and emphatically responded-"Yes, yes; that I will."

I now began to call in some times at the cottage. I found it

the low hearth. He, as master of the house, would be enthroned on a small stool, whilst the womenkind crouched at his feet, and looked up at him trustingly and obediently from the not very costly rug which was spread out over the bare ground.

There we all three would often listen to the tales which, enveloped in clouds of fragrant smoke from his chibouque, he would narrate to us: the tragic stories of the defeat of Dram Ali and his thirty thousand men; of Karaiskaki's death; and of the sieges of the Acropolis, in all of which he had himself fought and suffered.

When the thrilling parts came, Kyria Maria would sigh, and praise the dispensations of the Lord, Irene would wipe the tears from her eyes, whilst their Frankish guest would praise the valour and endurance of the Hellenes. Then the sister would relate the sufferings she had undergone in her exile at Salamis, and would congratulate her niece on having forgotten all the sorrows of those days, and remembering only the glorious Good Friday, when the Turks handed over the Acropolis to the warriors of King Otho, and the triumphal entry of the king into the city, and the great festivals which were held later on in honour of King Ludovikos.1

Then in my turn I had to tell about that enigmatical country Europe; and those curious compounds of folly and wisdom, the Germans one of the finest peoples of the world after the old Greekswhom all nations loved and none

were crackling merrily in the "iron pot. A pleasant warmth diffused itself through my territory, and the Attic Boreas, who entered freely through the wide cracks of the windows, and had hitherto made my rooms uncomfortably airy, now found himself fairly vanquished by my native auxiliary. I was overjoyed in its possession, for a few cold days in this southern land are much more unbearable than whole weeks of frost and snow at the foot of the Bavarian Highlands. My pleasure was shared by my servant Jorgi, who at first sight had contemned the stove, but was now an ardent admirer, and seemed anxious to make up for the contempt with which he had first treated the new-comer, by saying all the most flattering things he could think of.

It seemed only fair to invite Kyria Maria to participate in this household event, so I begged her to come and see me soon in my warm room, an invitation which she seemed not at all unwilling to accept. I had a presentiment that she would not come alone, and I looked forward hopefully to the visit.

The evening came-a cold and stormy one. Kyria Maria appeared at my door with somewhat hesitating steps, but a friendly smile. She was not alone. She had brought the lovely Irene with her. I received the two Athenian ladies with all the courtesy and grace I could command, but found it difficult to muster words enough to express the pleasure I felt at their visit. We sat down, and when the usual interminable inquiries after our mutual health were ended, Kyria Maria began to let her eyes roam inquiringly over my room. At last they rested on the stove.

"Truly," said she, "you Franks have everything you require to

make life delightful. You will now no longer fear the ice and snow of winter, Kyr Ludovike; for though I should never have believed it, that thing makes your room so warm that no frost will be able to enter. As for us, we often sit whole days at our hearth down below, rubbing our numbed hands, and freezing till our teeth chatter. The Franks are certainly a happy nation."

"I am very glad, Kyria Maria,” I answered, "that you like my room, and I hope you will often come up in cold weather and warm yourself. And your niece will come too, will she not ?" I added, looking towards Irene.

"I daresay we shall often come to see you, now that we have got to know you," Irene said simply, looking at me with her large gazelle-like eyes.

"Indeed, Irene," interrupted her aunt, "we cannot often. What would men say if, when they came to pay visits to Kyr Ludovikos, they found us women here? No, that will not do. But," turning to me, "do us the honour to come and talk with us at our own hearth as often as you can, for you must be able to tell us about many things. If I understood the language of the Franks, I would talk to them all day long. Look, Irene," she added, "how beautiful this furniture and these books and things are! They are not made in our country any more than the Ofeni which has been sent here from over the seas. The Franks must be wise people.”

"Some are, Kyria Maria,," I rejoined; "but you meet them of all sorts."

"What! both wise and foolish? And I daresay some are bad and some are good. People hereabouts say they are all bad; but I feel sure there would be here and there one I should like."

"Be silent, Irene," said her aunt, interrupting her.

"No, no,' ," said Kyria Maria, decisively. "She talks so much nonsense, it's not worth listening to. But I may assure you, Kyr Ludovike, that so far as you your self are concerned, we have from the beginning had the greatest respect for you.

"And you too, Irene?" I asked. "To be sure," she replied, smiling.

Why, then, did you always hide yourself when I passed through the courtyard ?"

"I was too timid, Kyr Ludovike; I did not dare to look at you.'

Our conversation lasted a long time, and ended with the heartiest assurances on both sides of esteem and friendship. I accompanied the ladies to the head of the stairs, where as we parted, a fresh renewal of civilities took place. The aunt said, Las pozʊv-literally, I lay myself at your feet- an expression you hear perpetually. The niece chose a different form, which, though quite as usual, sounded far sweeter to my ears. She murmured, hardly above her breathΝὰ μᾶς ἀγαπας (Keep us in your heart); to which I gladly and emphatically responded-"Yes, yes; that I will."

I now began to call in some times at the cottage. I found it

the low hearth. He, as master of the house, would be enthroned on a small stool, whilst the womenkind crouched at his feet, and looked up at him trustingly and obediently from the not very costly rug which was spread out over the bare ground.

There we all three would often listen to the tales which, enveloped in clouds of fragrant smoke from his chibouque, he would narrate to us: the tragic stories of the defeat of Dram Ali and his thirty thousand men; of Karaiskaki's death; and of the sieges of the Acropolis, in all of which he had himself fought and suffered.

When the thrilling parts came, Kyria Maria would sigh, and praise the dispensations of the Lord, Irene would wipe the tears from her eyes, whilst their Frankish guest would praise the valour and endurance of the Hellenes. Then the sister would relate the sufferings she had undergone in her exile at Salamis, and would congratulate her niece on having forgotten all the sorrows of those days, and remembering only the glorious Good Friday, when the Turks handed over the Acropolis to the warriors of King Otho, and the triumphal entry of the king into the city, and the great festivals which were held later on in honour of King Ludovikos.1

Then in my turn I had to tell about that enigmatical country Europe; and those curious compounds of folly and wisdom, the Germans one of the finest peoples of the world after the old Greeks— whom all nations loved and none

were crackling merrily in the "iron pot." A pleasant warmth diffused itself through my territory, and the Attic Boreas, who entered freely through the wide cracks of the windows, and had hitherto made my rooms uncomfortably airy, now found himself fairly vanquished by my native auxiliary. I was overjoyed in its possession, for a few cold days in this southern land are much more unbearable than whole weeks of frost and snow at the foot of the Bavarian Highlands. My pleasure was shared by my servant Jorgi, who at first sight had contemned the stove, but was now an ardent admirer, and seemed anxious to make up for the contempt with which he had first treated the new-comer, by saying all the most flattering things he could think of.

It seemed only fair to invite Kyria Maria to participate in this household event, so I begged her to come and see me soon in my warm room, an invitation which she seemed not at all unwilling to accept. I had a presentiment that she would not come alone, and I looked forward hopefully to the visit.

The evening came-a cold and stormy one. Kyria Maria appeared at my door with somewhat hesitating steps, but a friendly smile. She was not alone. She had brought the lovely Irene with her. I received the two Athenian ladies with all the courtesy and grace I could command, but found it difficult to muster words enough to express the pleasure I felt at their visit. We sat down, and when the usual interminable inquiries after our mutual health were ended, Kyria Maria began to let her eyes roam inquiringly over my room. At last they rested on the stove.

"Truly," said she, "you Franks have everything you require to

make life delightful. You will now no longer fear the ice and snow of winter, Kyr Ludovike; for though I should never have believed it, that thing makes your room so warm that no frost will be able to enter. As for us, we often sit whole days at our hearth down below, rubbing our numbed hands, and freezing till our teeth chatter. The Franks are certainly a happy nation."

"I am very glad, Kyria Maria," I answered, that you like my room, and I hope you will often come up in cold weather and warm yourself. And your niece will come too, will she not?" I added, looking towards Irene.

"I daresay we shall often come to see you, now that we have got to know you," Irene said simply, looking at me with her large gazelle-like eyes.

"Indeed, Irene," interrupted her aunt, "we cannot often. What would men say if, when they came to pay visits to Kyr Ludovikos, they found us women here? No, that will not do. But," turning to me, "do us the honour to come and talk with us at our own hearth as often as you can, for you must be able to tell us about many things. If I understood the language of the Franks, I would talk to them all day long. Look, Irene," she added, "how beautiful this furniture and these books and things are ! They are not made in our country any more than the Ofeni which has been sent here from over the seas. The Franks must be wise people."

"Some are, Kyria Maria,," I rejoined; "but you meet them of all sorts."

"What! both wise and foolish? And I daresay some are bad and some are good. People hereabouts say they are all bad; but I feel sure there would be here and there one I should like."