nt that their mistress was approaching caused a general
flurry among the servants, male and female, and several of them,
headed by the boys, hastened down to the landing to receive the
ladies. Byle was not the man to let slip such an opportunity of taking
a look at the paragon, whose charms of person and brilliancy of mind
he had heard many tongues extol; and he did not hesitate to join the
family group on the river bank. His curiosity was amply rewarded by
the vision of fair women which he beheld.

Madam Blennerhassett stepped from the ferryboat, beaming smiles of
motherly fondness upon her children. She wore a riding-habit of
scarlet cloth embroidered with thread of gold, and a snow-white hat,
adorned with long plumes of ostrich feather. The rich attire did not
blind Plutarch to the natural beauty of "the woman herself." She was
of regal stature, graceful bearing and animated face. Her buoyant
step, her rising bosom, her clear, rich voice evidenced the vital glow
of maturity in a woman still young--a June rose blooming in May.

Byle, pressing nearer, noted that the madam's hair was brown; her
eyelashes long; nose, Grecian; lips, ripe red. When he had fixed her
image on his mind, and was meditating the propriety of making friendly
inquiries concerning the purpose and results of her excursion to
Marietta, her large, calm eyes searched his countenance with a look of
offended dignity, which caused his tongue to cleave to the roof of his
mouth. Speechless for the moment, but not blinded, Plutarch withdrew
his optics from the imperious dame, and took an instantaneous
brain-picture of her companion, a light-footed, quick-glancing girl
about eighteen years of age, whose arrival put little Harman into an
ecstasy, and gave manifest delight to the servants. Her blithe manner
and cheerful voice won Byle's complete approbation, and led him to
describe her as one who "'peared not to know there was a valley of the
shadder of trouble here below."

Madam Blennerhassett instructed Moses to take care of the horses, and
side by side with the winsome maiden walked from the landing to the
house, followed by a retinue of servants.

Thus abandoned, Plutarch Byle plodded his way to his skiff, pushed the
light craft from the sandy beach, ensconced his gaunt person on the
rowing bench, seized the oars, and pulled up stream, saying to
himself:

"She's the compound extract of Queen 'Liz'beth and Cleopatry; but why
didn't she take a fancy to