plendid social affair of the first
half of the nineteenth century in New York."

There was great preparation for it, and practically all "society" was
asked--and nothing and nobody else. It was incidentally the occasion
of the first "society reporting." Attree, of the New York _Herald_,
was an invited guest and went in costume--quite an innovation for
conservative old Manhattan.

Lossing tells us: "At the close of this decade the features of New
York society presented conspicuous transformations. Many exotic
customs prevailed, both public and private, and the expensive
pleasures of the Eastern Hemisphere had been transplanted and taken
firm root. Among other imported amusements was the masked ball, the
first of which occurred in the city of New York in 1840, and produced
a profound sensation, not only _per se_, but because of an attending
circumstance which stirred 'society' to its foundation."

The British Consul in New York at that time was Anthony Barclay,--he
lived at College Place,--who was destined later to fall into evil
repute, by raising recruits here during the Crimean trouble. He had a
daughter, Matilda, who was remarkably lovely and--if we may believe
reports--a very great belle in American society. She had a number of
"suitors," as they were gracefully called in those days, and among
them was one Burgwyne, from South Carolina--very young, and, we may
take it, rather poor.

Lossing says: "There was also in attendance a gay, young South
Carolinian named Burgwyne."

The Consul and Mrs. Barclay disapproved of him strongly. But Matilda
who was beautiful, warm-blooded and wayward did not. She loved
Burgwyne with a reciprocal ardour, and when the masked ball at the
Brevoorts' came on the tapis it seemed as though the Goddess of
Romance had absolutely stretched out her hands to these two reckless,
but adorable lovers.

They had a favourite poem--most lovers have favourite poems;--theirs
was "Lalla Rookh."

There may be diverse opinions as to Thomas Moore's greatness, but
there can scarcely be two as to his lyric gift. He could write
charming love-songs, simple and yet full of colour, and, given the
Oriental theme, it is no wonder that youths and maidens of his day
sighed and smiled over "Lalla Rookh" as over nothing that had yet been
written for them. It is a delightful tale, half-prose and half-poetry,
written entirely and whole-heartedly for lovers, and Burgwyne and
Matilda found it easy to put themselv