s better still, in December her stepmother
would give a little party every fortnight and would let her sit up till
eleven o'clock. She was also to be taken to make some calls. In short,
she felt herself rising in importance, but the first thing that had made
her feel so was Fred's choice of her to be his literary confidant. She
was greatly obliged to him, and did not know how she could better prove
to him that she was worthy of so great an honor than by telling him quite
frankly just what she thought of his verses. They were very, very pretty.
He had talent--great talent. Only, as in attending the classes of M.
Regis she had acquired some little knowledge of the laws of
versification, she would like to warn him against impairing a thought for
the benefit of a rhyme, and she pointed out several such places in his
compositions, ending thus:

"Bravo! for sunsets, for twilights, for moonshine, for deep silence, for
starry nights, and silvery seas--in such things you excel; one feels as
if one were there, and one envies you the fairy scenes of ocean. But, I
implore you, be not sentimental. That is the feeble part of your poetry,
to my thinking, and spoils the rest. By the way, I should like to ask you
whose are those soft eyes, that silky hair, that radiant smile, and all
that assortment of amber, jet, and coral occurring so often in your
visions? Is she--or rather, are they--black, yellow, green, or tattooed,
for, of course, you have met everywhere beauties of all colors? Several
times when it appeared as if the lady of your dreams were white, I
fancied you were drawing a portrait of Isabelle Ray. All the girls, your
old friends, to whom I have shown At Sea, send you their compliments, to
which I join my own. Each of them will beg you to write her a sonnet; but
first of all, in virtue of our ancient friendship, I want one myself.

"JACQUELINE."

So! she had shown to others what was meant for her alone; what
profanation! And what was more abominable, she had not recognized that he
was speaking of herself. Ah! there was nothing to be done now but to
forget her. Fred tried to do so conscientiously during all his cruise in
the Atlantic, but the moment he got ashore and had seen Jacqueline, he
fell again a victim to her charms.

CHAPTER IX

BEAUTY AT THE FAIR

She was more beautiful than ever, and her first exclamation on seeing him
was intended to be flattering: "Ah! Fred, how much you have