d, than uttered aloud. "Would that thus
they might all continue! Thou art a singular compound of thy sex's
weakness, and of manly resolution, belle Barberie; but trust me," and he
laid his hand on his heart with an earnestness that spoke well for his
sincerity; "ere word, or act, to harm or to offend thee, should proceed
from any who obey will of mine, nature itself must undergo a change. Start
not, for I call one to show the specimens you would see."

He then applied a little silver whistle to his lips, and drew a low signal
from the instrument, motioning to Alida to await the result, without
alarm. In half a minute, there was a rustling among the leaves of the
shrubbery, a moment of attentive pause, and then a dark object entered the
window, and rolled heavily to the centre of the floor.

"Here are our commodities, and trust me the price shall not be dwelt on,
between us," resumed Master Seadrift, undoing the fastenings of the little
bale, that had entered the saloon, seemingly without the aid of hands.
"These goods are so many gages of neutrality, between us; so approach, and
examine, without fear. You will find some among them to reward the
hazard."

The bale was now open, and as its master appeared to be singularly expert
in suiting a female fancy, it became impossible for Alida to resist any
longer. She gradually lost her reserve, as the examination proceeded; and
before the owner of the treasures had got into the third of his packages,
the hands of the heiress were as actively employed as his own, in gaining
access to their view.

"This is a stuff of the Lombard territories," said the vender of the
goods, pleased with the confidence he had succeeded in establishing
between his beautiful customer and himself. "Thou seest, it is rich,
flowery, and variegated as the land it came from. One might fancy the
vines and vegetation of that deep soil were shooting from this labor of
the loom--nay, the piece is sufficient for any toilette, however ample;
see, it is endless as the plains that reared the little animal who
supplies the texture. I have parted of that fabric to many dames of
England, who have not disdained to traffic with one that risks much in
their behalf."

"I fear there are many who find a pleasure in these stuffs, chiefly
because their use is forbidden."

"'Twould not be out of nature! Look; this box contains ornaments of the
elephant's tooth, cut by a cunning artificer in the far Eastern lands;
they