pirits which charmed Faust:

"And the fluttering
Ribbons of drapery
Cover the plains,
Cover the bowers,
Where lovers,
Deep in thought,
Give themselves for life."

The voice of Mrs. Bliss broke its spell.

"I bring an old friend, Miss Huell, and he tells me an acquaintance of
yours."

It was Mr. Uxbridge.

"I had no thought of meeting you, Miss Huell."

And he coolly took the seat beside me in the window, leaving to Mrs.
Bliss the alternative of standing or of going away; she chose the
latter.

"I saw you as soon as I came in," he said, "gliding from window to
window, like a vessel hugging the shore in a storm."

"With colors at half-mast; I have no dancing partner."

"How many have observed you?"

"Several young gentlemen."

"Moths."

"Oh no, butterflies."

"They must keep away now."

"Are you Rhadamanthus?"

"And Charon, too. I would have you row in the same boat with me."

"Now you are fishing."

"Won't you compliment me. Did I ever look better?"

His evening costume _was_ becoming, but he looked pale, and weary, and
disturbed. But if we were engaged for a tournament, as his behavior
indicated, I must do my best at telling. So I told him that he
never looked better, and asked him how I looked. He would look at me
presently, he said, and decide. Mrs. Bliss skimmed by us with nods and
smiles; as she vanished our eyes followed her, and we talked vaguely
on various matters, sounding ourselves and each other. When a furious
redowa set in which cut our conversation into rhythm he pushed up the
window and said, "Look out."

I turned my face to him to do so, and saw the moon at the full, riding
through the strip of sky which our vision commanded. From the moon
our eyes fell on each other. After a moment's silence, during which I
returned his steadfast gaze, for I could not help it, he said: "If we
understand the impression we make upon each other, what must be said?"

I made no reply, but fanned myself, neither looking at the moon, nor
upon the redowa, nor upon any thing.

He took the fan from me.

"Speak of yourself," he said.

"Speak you."

"I am what I seem, a man within your sphere. By all the accidents of
position and circumstance suited to it. Have you not learned it?"

"I am not what I seem. I never wore so splendid a dress as this till
tonight, and shall not again."

He gave the fan such a twirl that its slender sticks snapped, and it
dropped like the broke