A Sicilian Romance

Cornelia ceased, and Julia, who had listened to the narrative in deep

attention, at once admired, loved, and pitied her. As the sister of

Hippolitus, her heart expanded towards her, and it was now inviolably

attached by the fine ties of sympathetic sorrow. Similarity of

sentiment and suffering united them in the firmest bonds of

friendship; and thus, from reciprocation of thought and feeling,

flowed a pure and sweet consolation.

Julia loved to indulge in the mournful pleasure of conversing of

Hippolitus, and when thus engaged, the hours crept unheeded by. A

thousand questions she repeated concerning him, but to those most

interesting to her, she received no consolatory answer. Cornelia, who

had heard of the fatal transaction at the castle of Mazzini, deplored

with her its too certain consequence.