with a deck-load of music, and more in a tender. There was
a great plenty of pictures on the walls, on the shelves of the
mantelpiece, and around generally; where coigns of vantage offered
were statuettes, and quaint and pretty gimcracks, and rare and costly
specimens of peculiarly devilish china. The bay-window gave upon a
garden that was ablaze with foreign and domestic flowers and flowering
shrubs.

But the sweet young girl was the daintiest thing these premises, within
or without, could offer for contemplation: delicately chiseled features,
of Grecian cast; her complexion the pure snow of a japonica that is
receiving a faint reflected enrichment from some scarlet neighbor of
the garden; great, soft blue eyes fringed with long, curving lashes; an
expression made up of the trustfulness of a child and the gentleness of
a fawn; a beautiful head crowned with its own prodigal gold; a lithe
and rounded figure, whose every attitude and movement was instinct with
native grace.

Her dress and adornment were marked by that exquisite harmony that can
come only of a fine natural taste perfected by culture. Her gown was of
a simple magenta tulle, cut bias, traversed by three rows of light-blue
flounces, with the selvage edges turned up with ashes-of-roses
chenille; overdress of dark bay tarlatan with scarlet satin lambrequins;
corn-colored polonaise, en panier, looped with mother-of-pearl buttons
and silver cord, and hauled aft and made fast by buff velvet lashings;
basque of lavender reps, picked out with valenciennes; low neck, short
sleeves; maroon velvet necktie edged with delicate pink silk; inside
handkerchief of some simple three-ply ingrain fabric of a soft saffron
tint; coral bracelets and locket-chain; coiffure of forget-me-nots and
lilies-of-the-valley massed around a noble calla.

This was all; yet even in this subdued attire she was divinely
beautiful. Then what must she have been when adorned for the festival or
the ball?

All this time she had been busily chatting with Alonzo, unconscious of
our inspection. The minutes still sped, and still she talked. But by and
by she happened to look up, and saw the clock. A crimson blush sent its
rich flood through her cheeks, and she exclaimed:

"There, good-by, Mr. Fitz Clarence; I must go now!"

She sprang from her chair with such haste that she hardly heard the
young man's answering good-by. She stood radiant, graceful, beautiful,
and gazed, wondering, upon the accus