ed beautiful brown eyes. She had such a slim waist,
that it was a wonder to behold; and such a slim little feet, that you
would have thought the grass would hardly bend under them. Her lips were
of the colour of faint rosebuds, and her voice warbled limpidly over a
set of the sweetest little pearly teeth ever seen. She showed them very
often, for they were very pretty. She was very good-natured, and a smile
not only showed her teeth wonderfully, but likewise exhibited two lovely
little pink dimples, that nestled in either cheek.

She showed Laura her drawings, which the other thought charming. She
played her some of her waltzes, with a rapid and brilliant finger,
and Laura was still more charmed. And she then read her some poems, in
French and English, likewise of her own composition, and which she kept
locked in her own book--her own dear little book; it was bound in blue
velvet, with a gilt lock, and on it was printed in gold the title of
'Mes Larmes.'

"Mes Larmes!--isn't it a pretty name?" the young lady continued, who
was pleased with everything that she did, and did everything very well.
Laura owned that it was. She had never seen anything like it before;
anything so lovely, so accomplished, so fragile and pretty; warbling so
prettily, and tripping about such a pretty room, with such a number
of pretty books, pictures, flowers, round about her. The honest and
generous country girl forgot even jealousy in her admiration. "Indeed,
Blanche," she said, "everything in the room is pretty; and you are the
prettiest of all." The other smiled, looked in the glass, went up and
took both of Laura's hands, and kissed them, and sat down to the piano,
and shook out a little song, as if she had been a nightingale.

This was the first visit paid by Fairoaks to Clavering Park, in return
for Clavering Park's visit to Fairoaks, in reply to Fairoaks's cards
left a few days after the arrival of Sir Francis's family. The intimacy
between the young ladies sprang up like Jack's Bean-stalk to the skies
in a single night. The large footmen were perpetually walking with
little rose-coloured pink notes to Fairoaks; where there was a pretty
house-maid in the kitchen, who might possibly tempt those gentlemen
to so humble a place. Miss Amory sent music, or Miss Amory sent a new
novel, or a picture from the 'Journal des Modes,' to Laura; or my lady's
compliments arrived with flowers and fruit; or Miss Amory begged and
prayed Miss Bell to come