fixed on mine, while she stood
motionless before me. My exultation vanished, and confusion drove away
my passion.

"You bade me describe her," said I lamely. "I do not know whether others
see as I do, but such is she to my eyes."

A silence followed. Barbara's face was not flushed now, but rather
seemed paler than it was wont to be. I could not tell how it was, but I
knew that I had wounded her. Is not beauty jealous, and who but a clod
will lavish praise on one fair face while another is before him? I
should have done better to play the hypocrite and swear that my folly,
not Nell's features, was to blame. But now I was stubborn and would
recall not a word of all my raptures. Yet I was glad that I had not told
her who Cydaria was.

The silence was short. In an instant Barbara gave a little laugh,
saying,

"Small wonder you were caught, poor Simon! Yes, the creature must be
handsome enough. Shall we return to my mother?"

On that day she spoke no more with me.

CHAPTER VII

WHAT CAME OF HONESTY

I should sin against the truth and thereby rob this my story of its
solitary virtue were I to pretend that my troubles and perplexities,
severe as they seemed, outweighed the pleasure and new excitement of my
life. Ambition was in my head, youth in my veins, my eyes looked out on
a gay world with a regard none too austere. Against these things even
love's might can wage but an equal battle. For the moment, I must
confess, my going to Court, with the prospect it opened and the chances
it held, dominated my mind, and Jonah Wall, my servant, was kept busy in
preparing me for the great event. I had made a discovery concerning this
fellow which afforded me much amusement: coming on him suddenly, I found
him deeply engaged on a Puritan Psalm-book, sighing and casting up his
eyes to heaven in a ludicrous excess of glum-faced piety. I pressed him
hard and merrily, when it appeared that he was as thorough a Ranter as
my friend Phineas himself, and held the Court and all in it to be
utterly given over to Satan, an opinion not without some warrant, had
he observed any moderation in advancing it. Not wishing to harm him, I
kept my knowledge to myself, but found a malicious sport in setting him
to supply me with all the varieties of raiment, perfumes, and other
gauds--that last was his word, not mine--which he abhorred, but which Mr
Simon Dale's new-born desire for fashion made imperative, however little
Mr Simon Dale's pu