This may have been an empty threat or not,-most quarrels in Italy when they proceed beyond words, to which, however, they are often limited for hours, terminate fatally,-happily in this case the rain had fallen most opportunely. The sport was now over, and turning our horses' heads towards Grosseto, mine host of the "Ussero" and myself pursued our way to his comfortable albergo, where an excellent dinner awaited our return. In this manner, varying the sport from caccia grossa, or wild-boar and capriolo one day, to woodcock and snipe and wildfowl the next, I passed ten days very satisfactorily in this remote corner of the world; and to any of my countrymen who may wish to diversify the monotonous circle of Florentine gaiety or Roman tristesse, with a glimpse of wild unfettered Italian nature, I strongly recommend a visit to the "Ussero," at Grosseto, always premising that it be not undertaken before the end of November, nor after the middle of March. L. THE UNKNOWN. BY THE LATE THOMAS HAYNES BAYLY, ESQ. "He passed-nor of his land or race Hath left a token or a trace This broken tale was all we knew." -BYRON. Ir was late in the autumn, and Geneva, which had been crowded with strangers of various nations; amongst whom, as usual, the number of English by far predominated, was now nearly deserted by its flying visitants, who passed on their way to Florence, Rome, or Vienna; the mountains were no longer peopled with many-coloured bonnets, and well-made coats, nor every point of view infested with lionizers and "sketching souls;" a few, however still lingered, and some of them intended to pass the winter there-I was of the latter number, for I was an invalid, and had been recommended "To breathe abroad the mountain air, And I was amazed by watching the endless diversity of that thing called "society," which, like the forms in a kaleidoscope, is continually changing into new tints and combinations. All country towns are proverbial for their encouragement of scandal and gossip, and certainly Geneva did not contribute to disprove the truth of the adage. As our circle became smaller, the love of talking of our neighbours' affairs seemed to increase, curiosity grew more keen as the means of gratifying it diminished, and arrivals, departures, and flirtations rose to double value in public estimation. In the idleness of the life which a stranger is almost forced to lead, it is difficult not to catch something of the "spirit of the place," the genus loci; and accordingly I found myself watching, with considerable interest, the approach of a handsome travelling-carriage, which drove up to the door of the hotel, at the window of which I was sitting, with a book in my hand, which I was supposed to be reading. It was a large berline of foreign build, without arms, crest, or cipher-a whiskered courier, a smart ladies'-maid, and the usual complement of bandboxes crowned the outside; while from within, there descended first a young man, so muffled up in a fur-cloak and travellingcap, that nothing but his nose was visible; and then a lady, whose close bonnet and veil completely prevented me from catching even a glimpse of her features. This form, the fur-cloak and travelling-cap assisted to alight with great care, almost carrying it from the carriage into the hotel. After them a fat nurse, holding an infant in her arms, followed with great precaution and deliberation, and disappeared into the house. The carriage drew off; and thus having seen all that was to be seen, I put on my hat and wandered out to take my usual promenade de santé. As I was returning home, I met the new arrivals just issuing forth to enjoy the calm pure evening air; they had discarded some of their envelopes, therefore I could now indulge my curiosity with a view of their countenances. The young man was of the middle size, slender, dark, and pale, and altogether had the appearance which is generally pronounced interesting-but the lady soon engrossed my whole attention; she was, I think, one of the loveliest creatures I ever beheld; her beauty was of that sort, which it is impossible to class as belonging to any particular country; it was itself alone, and might be Italian, German, French, or English; and yet whichever I settled her to be, I immediately found some objection to her being that, though I allowed the others might have some claim to her. This much only I was certain of, that in whatever land she had been born, she was of the first rank of society in it. Of course, these handsome strangers were the objects of much inquiry; but very little could be discovered. The whiskered courier and the smart ladies'-maid set off for Paris the very next day; and when they were asked who their master and mistress were, they replied, they knew nothing about them; that they had been hired at Paris to attend them as far as Geneva; that the gentleman was called in the passport, Monsieur le Baron de Clairville, and the lady, Madame la Baronne, and this was all they knew. It was no use applying to the fat nurse, for she was a Swiss, and engaged by them after their arrival in the country; and this personage was now their only attendant: and yet their appearance at first had decidedly an air of pretension-a sort of faste about it; and as it was, they showed no other mark of economy; they continued to reside in the most fashionable, and consequently the dearest hotel in Geneva, without any apparent wish of avoiding expense in their way of life. They received no communications from without-seemed to know nobody, nor to desire to form any acquaintance; and except to take their evening walk, never left their apartments. All this was sufficiently mysterious and exceedingly provoking-conjecture was baffled; there was no indication on which to build a theory; so, as we were completely ignorant about the matter, we decided that it was "exceedingly suspicious;" could be from no good motive; and that they were very questionable people; which, as far as we were concerned, was very true, for there was no end of the questions we asked concerning these very quiet, inoffensive individuals. As for me, I always took a candid view of the affair, and maintained that whatever their motives might be for the strict retirement in which they lived, it could not be from any they were ashamed of, though I was obliged to confess that Clairville sounded very like a nom de guerre. This state of things continued for some time, our only intercouse consisting in the baron and myself. He took several journeys, the longest of which did not last more than four days; when he returned, the delight he apparently felt at seeing his wife, seemed to restore all his cheerfulness; but on the morrow he relapsed into melancholy again, nor was the baroness more free from it, though she succeeded better in concealing it; more than once I surprised her in so profound a revery, that she did not hear me open the door; and one day in particular, during the absence of the baron, I perceived her, as I entered the apartment, seated at a table, one hand supporting her head, and the other holding something which she gazed on with mournful intensity, that seemed to call up the visible forms of those whoever they were, which that record presented to her mind. Her cheek was pale as marble, and her brow contracted like one in pain, but who has determined to endure with firmness. She started when she saw me, and affecting to stoop over her child, who was seated on the sofa near her, arranged the cushions round him; and when she looked up to welcome me, she had nothing in her hand but the embroidery. That she might not suppose I had observed her agitation, I gaily assured her that I had been so absorbed in admiration of her son, as to have neither eyes nor ears for any one else. She tried to smile, but the effort was too great; and after an ineffectual and almost convulsive struggle, she burst into tears. I was deeply affected, but I did not venture to ask the cause of her grief; there was an appearance of distress, almost of resentment against herself for having betrayed her unhappiness, which I feared to increase. I therefore pretended to attribute her tears to the absence of the baron. I have since bitterly regretted that I did not ask an explanation; perhaps-but no! it was not to be. I confess that all this puzzled and distressed me most exceedingly. I should have thought the mutual uneasiness of my mysterious friends was caused by some embarrassment in their affairs, if the number and splendour of the jewels, which I knew the baroness to possess, had not made me suppose they must be far removed from poverty; for Madame de Clairville wore habitually very costly ornaments,-not from any love of ostentation, for I have seen her in them when she had no expectation of meeting any one beside her husband, but apparently from custom, just as she put on her gloves or carried her handkerchief and fan. They could, then, possess all these diamonds and be in want-what could it be? The result proved that it was not pecuniary distress which caused the unhappiness of the baron. About this time there arrived at Geneva a Russian count, whom I shall call Hilkoff: not that it was his name, but it is the shortest that occurs to me and I hate the whole tribe of initials, stars, dashes, and blanks. At first there appeared nothing to distinguish this count from "many another;" he waltzed, galloped, and wore ferocious mus taches just like any (Russian) body else; but we very soon discovered that he had much more money, and an infinite deal more effrontery than is usual. He saw the baroness, fell violently in love, and persecuted her with continual assiduities, attentions, and flattery. I had too good an opinion of this amiable and gentle being, to suppose her capable of listening to the daring vows of a lover; but there was a determination about his pursuit of her, that somewhat alarmed me, and a savage expression in his small gray eyes and Tartar features, which inspired both dread and dislike. He was, however, very much on his guard in M. de Clairville's presence, which was by no means the least formidable symptom in the affair. Things were at this point when the baron thought himself obliged to leave Geneva, and take a journey, which was not to last longer than the preceding ones. I was witness of the efforts which Madame de C. made to prevent his departure; and without being able to penetrate the secret of their affairs, it was evident that a favour, begged with so much earnestness, must have very important reasons that required it to be granted. She could not induce him to change his purpose, but he promised her he would return the following day. He went, and her tears flowed long and unrestrainedly; I tried every topic of consolation that could be suggested, and hoped at length I had succeeded; for she became calm and composed, and I left her languid and exhausted, but still the violence of grief seemed over. I dined at the house of a friend a few miles off, and did not return till late. When I arrived at the hotel, I was told that Madame de C. was in the agonies of death, and that they suspected her of having poisoned herself. It appeared that soon after I left her, she went out to walk, and returned later than usual. She then sent some one to buy a dose of sublimate, without explaining the use she meant to make of it. She shut herself up in her room, but the violence of the pain forced groans from her, which were heard by the servants of the house. When they came, she complained of spasms, to which she said she was very subject, that it was nothing, and would soon go off. For some time they treated her under this supposition; but the rapid progress of her illness, and other symptoms, made them suppose it must proceed from another cause. They sent immediately for a physician, who was with her at the moment I arrived. I rushed up stairs in an agony of horror and surprise, but it was too late-all was over;-the officious assistants wished me to approach the bed, but I could not bear to see that beautiful countenance convulsed by a fearful and self-sought death. I turned from the room in sickness of heart, and sought my own to weep unobserved. She died without confessing that her own hand had shortened her existence; and the only care-the only request she made in dying was, to entreat those who tried to assist her, to tell the sad news gently to her husband, and to be kind to her child, and this was allAnd she was dead! So young-so beautiful-it seemed impossibleher lovely face was still before my eyes, pale with emotion as I had seen it last-her sobs yet rung in my ears-her very grief seemed to connect her more closely with life; but the sorrows of this world had done their worst-they were ended for her now. I looked towards the windows of her room, the rays of the morning sun glanced brightly against them; but they shone on a form to whom they had not the power of giving another day of anguish-on eyes which they could unclose no more to weep. Terrible and inexplicable as this event was, yet every one undertook to give a solution of it. The prevailing opinion was, that the baron had abandoned her, and that thinking herself without support and without hope in a foreign land, she had chosen death as the shortest way to put an end to her misery; and this notion was entertained till the third day, when the return of M. de C. put an end to so wretched a suspicion. I, and some others of his acquaintance met him at the door of the hotel, and under the pretext of an affair of importance where his assistance was necessary, we conducted him into another house to inform him of his loss. The transports of despair to which he gave way, contributed still more to destroy the suspicions that had been formed of his journey. He seemed to have but one wish-one object left-to die. They had taken the precaution of removing all the instruments that might have been used for that purpose; but wildly demanding, if no one had humanity enough to give him poison, a knife, or any thing that would relieve him most quickly from existence, he made violent efforts to precipitate himself from a window; and at last having contrived to elude the vigilance of those who watched him, in default of all other ways to die, he dashed himself with such force against the wall of the room, that he fell senseless on the floor; the blood flowed profusely from a wound in his forehead, and for some time we thought he had obtained his wish, and would soon be laid by his unhappy companion. For eight days he continued either in a state of stupor, or in fits of raving and passionate despair. His attendants listened with anxiety to the slightest expression of his grief, in the hope of gaining some explanation of this strange story, but no incautious word betrayed his secret-not a syllable escaped his lips which bore any reference to his former fate. During this interval the remains of her, whom I know not how to designate, but as all of most beautiful that is seen on earth, was consigned by strangers to an earthly unhallowed grave, in a foreign land at night, in secrecy and silence the funeral was performed. "No bell was tolled-no prayer was said, No tomb was raised over her, the spot is marked by the mound of earth alone, and the long grass that grows thick and rank above it. The memory of the dead is fast fading away, and soon none will remember it but me. The unhappy young man continued to rave of killing himself by the side of his lost companion, and his despair seemed to increase by time. However, the interests of his son, whom we placed before him, prevailed, and he promised to renounce his |