anner of one who actually heard the musical
notes, Peveril also drew near, though at somewhat greater distance.

The King looked good-humouredly at both, as if he admitted their musical
enthusiasm as an excuse for their intrusion; but his eyes became riveted
on Fenella, whose face and appearance, although rather singular than
beautiful, had something in them wild, fantastic, and, as being so, even
captivating, to an eye which had been gratified perhaps to satiety with
the ordinary forms of female beauty. She did not appear to notice
how closely she was observed; but, as if acting under an irresistible
impulse, derived from the sounds to which she seemed to listen, she
undid the bodkin round which her long tresses were winded, and flinging
them suddenly over her slender person, as if using them as a natural
veil, she began to dance, with infinite grace and agility, to the tune
which the flageolet played.

Peveril lost almost his sense of the King's presence, when he observed
with what wonderful grace and agility Fenella kept time to notes, which
could only be known to her by the motions of the musician's fingers.
He had heard, indeed, among other prodigies, of a person in Fenella's
unhappy situation acquiring, by some unaccountable and mysterious
tact, the power of acting as an instrumental musician, nay, becoming so
accurate a performer as to be capable of leading a musical band; and he
also heard of deaf and dumb persons dancing with sufficient accuracy, by
observing the motions of their partner. But Fenella's performance seemed
more wonderful than either, since the musician was guided by his written
notes, and the dancer by the motions of the others; whereas Fenella had
no intimation, save what she seemed to gather, with infinite accuracy,
by observing the motion of the artist's fingers on his small instrument.

As for the King, who was ignorant of the particular circumstances which
rendered Fenella's performance almost marvellous, he was contented, at
her first commencement, to authorise what seemed to him the frolic
of this singular-looking damsel, by a good-natured smile, but when he
perceived the exquisite truth and justice, as well as the wonderful
combination of grace and agility, with which she executed to this
favourite air a dance which was perfectly new to him, Charles turned
his mere acquiescence into something like enthusiastic applause. He bore
time to her motions with the movement of his foot--applauded