ere Severin was interrupted by an old gentleman, vary nicely dressed,
who politely asked him to be kind enough to move his chair a little
forward to let him pass. Severin rose, and the old gentleman, bowing
courteously, led forward an elderly lady, apparently his wife. A boy of
some twelve years followed them. Severin was about to sit down again,
when Alexander said softly, 'Wait a moment; that young lady there seems
to belong to the family, too.'

"The friends looked, and saw a wonderfully beautiful creature
approaching, with hesitating steps, looking backwards over her
shoulder. She seemed to be looking for some one whom she was anxious to
see, or perhaps had noticed in passing. Almost immediately a young
fellow came gliding up to her through the crowd, and slipped a note
into her hand, which she quickly concealed in her breast. Meanwhile,
the old gentleman had taken possession of a table which some people had
just left, and was telling the flying waiter (whom he had checked in
his flight, and was holding tight by the flap of his jacket) at much
length, and with great minuteness, what he was to go and bring. The
lady was occupied in dusting the chairs, and consequently they did not
observe the loitering of their daughter, who, without taking any notice
of Severin (who still stood politely holding the chair to allow her to
pass), made haste to rejoin her people. She sat down so that the
friends were able to look straight into her wonderfully beautiful face,
and dark, exquisitely 'appealing' eyes. There was something immensely
attractive and irresistible in her whole being, and in all her
movements. She was beautifully dressed in the latest fashions, a trifle
too much dressed, perhaps, for the promenade, but still in perfect
taste. The mother recognised a lady sitting a short distance off, and
they rose and talked to each other; the old gentleman lighted his pipe.
The young lady took advantage of this chance to take the letter from
her breast and read it hastily, and the friends saw the colour come
quickly to the poor thing's cheeks, and the big tears rise in her eyes,
while her bosom rose and fell with emotion. She tore the letter into
little fragments, and let the wind carry them one by one away, as if
each was some beautiful hope hard to relinquish. The old people came
back: the father looked keenly at her tearful eyes, and seemed to be
asking her what was the matter. She answered a word or two in a tone of
gentle re