se laborers in the diggings
who had not yet acquired the means of establishing households of their
own.

There was little form or ceremony in the proceedings of the repast.
Colleton was introduced by a few words from the landlord to the
landlady, Mrs. Dorothy Munro, and to a young girl, her niece, who sat
beside her. It does not need that we say much in regard to the
former--she interferes with no heart in our story; but Lucy, the niece,
may not be overlooked so casually. She has not only attractions in
herself which claim our notice, but occupies no minor interest in the
story we propose to narrate. Her figure was finely formed, slight and
delicate, but neither diminutive nor feeble--of fair proportion
symmetry, and an ease and grace of carriage and manner belonging to a
far more refined social organization than that in which we find her. But
this is easily accounted for; and the progress of our tale will save us
the trouble of dwelling farther upon it now. Her skin, though slightly
tinged by the sun, was beautifully smooth and fair. Her features might
not be held regular; perhaps not exactly such as in a critical
examination we should call or consider handsome; but they were
attractive nevertheless, strongly marked, and well defined. Her eyes
were darkly blue; not languishingly so, but on the contrary rather
lively and intelligent in their accustomed expression. Her mouth,
exquisitely chiselled, and colored by the deepest blushes of the rose,
had a seductive persuasiveness about it that might readily win one's own
to some unconscious liberties; while the natural position of the lips,
leaving them slightly parted, gave to the mouth an added attraction in
the double range which was displayed beneath of pearl-like and
well-formed teeth; her hair was unconfined, but short; and rendered the
expression of her features more youthful and girl-like than might have
been the result of its formal arrangement--it was beautifully glossy,
and of a dark brown color.

Her demeanor was that of maidenly reserve, and a ladylike dignity, a
quiet serenity, approaching--at periods, when any remark calculated to
infringe in the slightest degree upon those precincts with which
feminine delicacy and form have guarded its possessor--a stern severity
of glance, approving her a creature taught in the true school of
propriety, and chastened with a spirit that slept not on a watch, always
of perilous exposure in one so young and of her sex. On mo