as a tall, powerful looking man, with bold black eyes,
and the carriage of a person used to power of some kind. His dress was
remarkable,--the short jacket of the country, buttoned and ornamented
with quantities of round golden buttons, that rattled and tinkled as he
walked up and down, was ornamented with a very rich embroidery, in which
gleams of crimson and brown were enwrought on the blue ground with
delicate effect; a traveling cap, also richly embroidered, sat
jauntingly on the side of his head. Everything about him was apparently
new, and if too gorgeous, effective.

"Miss Eaton watched this man with her furtive blue eyes, as he passed us
ever and again, each time fastening his gaze on her face with a look of
audacious admiration that made the blood come hotly into my cheek.

"'What is he, have you any idea?' she whispered, as he passed us for the
fifth time, 'some nobleman I am sure. Don't you think so, Miss
Crawford?'

"I answered pleasantly, that as this was the first country of Europe
that I had seen, it was impossible for me to judge what particular trait
distinguished its nobility. While I was saying this, a little fussy
woman, wearing a showy dress and lace mantilla, came up to us and called
Miss Eaton by name.

"'My dear,' she said, giving Lucy's bonnet a jerk forward. 'Have you
seen him?'

"'Who, mamma?'

"'Why that duke, he passed here just now, and I saw him looking at
you--with that bonnet stuck on end, dear me!'

"Lucy began to re-arrange her bonnet, entering into her mother's
anxiety. 'Was it--was it the gentleman with the buttons, mamma. How is
it now? too far forward I think,--with the buttons?'

"'Such buttons!' interrupted the mother, 'solid gold every one of 'em,
blue blood, every drop in his veins--any one could swear to that without
telling. Did you see him, Miss?'

"'Miss Crawford, mamma,' said Lucy, 'General Harrington's ward, whom we
have heard so much about.'

"The woman looked at me keenly through an enamelled eye glass, which she
carried fastened to a chain of gold, twisted around her wrist.

"'Glad to make your acquaintance, Miss Crawford,' she said, dropping the
glass after a full survey of my person. 'James has told us so much about
you. Indeed, we were getting almost jealous, weren't we, Lucy? There,
there he comes again. Drop your parasol, Lucy, carelessly, you know.
Hush, hush!'

"The Spanish traveller came by us again, with his long sweeping walk and
bold eyes, wh