ame metal,
which intimated, in the name of some court or guild of minstrels,
the degree she had taken in the gay or joyous science. A small scrip,
suspended over her shoulders by a blue silk riband; hung on her left
side.

Her sunny complexion, snow white teeth, brilliant black eyes, and raven
locks marked her country lying far in the south of France, and the arch
smile and dimpled chin bore the same character. Her luxuriant raven
locks, twisted around a small gold bodkin, were kept in their position
by a net of silk and gold. Short petticoats, deep laced with silver, to
correspond with the jacket, red stockings which were visible so high as
near the calf of the leg, and buskins of Spanish leather, completed her
adjustment, which, though far from new, had been saved as an untarnished
holiday suit, which much care had kept in good order. She seemed about
twenty-five years old; but perhaps fatigue and wandering had anticipated
the touch of time in obliterating the freshness of early youth.

We have said the glee maiden's manner was lively, and we may add that
her smile and repartee were ready. But her gaiety was assumed, as a
quality essentially necessary to her trade, of which it was one of the
miseries, that the professors were obliged frequently to cover an aching
heart with a compelled smile. This seemed to be the case with Louise,
who, whether she was actually the heroine of her own song, or whatever
other cause she might have for sadness, showed at times a strain of deep
melancholy thought, which interfered with and controlled the natural
flow of lively spirits which the practice of the joyous science
especially required. She lacked also, even in her gayest sallies, the
decided boldness and effrontery of her sisterhood, who were seldom at
a loss to retort a saucy jest, or turn the laugh against any who
interrupted or interfered with them.

It may be here remarked, that it was impossible that this class of
women, very numerous in that age, could bear a character generally
respectable. They were, however, protected by the manners of the time;
and such were the immunities they possessed by the rights of chivalry,
that nothing was more rare than to hear of such errant damsels
sustaining injury or wrong, and they passed and repassed safely, where
armed travellers would probably have encountered a bloody opposition.
But though licensed and protected in honour of their tuneful art, the
wandering minstrels, male or femal