with an occasional fleecy cloud rolling across it, looked down upon us; the deep go,den sunshine broke through the delicate green hedge behind us; strange birds in odd wicker cages answered each other in bursts of melody; it was as lovely a decoration as art could conceive. We had a spicy, hot soup, of flavor unknown to us; omelette, with green herbs; rice, with tomato and red peppers; beef à la mode; oyster patties; curry of chicken; jellies, delicate and deliciously moulded; fruits, coffee, cakes, and tea. From the promenade on the flat roof above, we could look down into the court and the pretty impromptu dining-room, like some strange foreign picture. And we could look at something better still, — at the two mysterious and beautiful creatures rising into the serene sky only twenty miles away. Lightly veiled by a transparent silver cloud, which wound about them in a thousand graceful forms, while exquisite lights and shadows stained their rifted sides with deep amethyst and royal purples worthy the mantle of a king, — Ixtaccihuatl and Popocatapetl, brought startlingly near from our change of position, looked down upon us through all the changing
