and tell
me if I have been a true painter."

Louis felt the blood mounting to his temples, as the soft hand of Alice
analyzed the outline of his face, and lingered in his hair. It seemed to
him a cherub was fluttering its wings against his cheek, diffusing a
peace and balminess that no language could describe.

Alice, who had yielded involuntarily to the movement of Helen, drew her
hand blushingly away.

"I cannot imagine how any one can see without touching," said Alice,
"how they can take in an image into the soul, by looking at it far off.
You tell me the eyes feel no pleasure when gazing at any thing--that it
is the mind only which perceives. But my fingers thrill with delight
when I touch any thing that pleases, long afterwards."

Louis longed to ask her if she felt the vibration then, but he dared not
do it. He, in general so reckless in words, experienced a restraining
influence he had never felt before. She seemed so set apart, so holy, it
would be sacrilegious to address her with levity. He felt a sudden
desire to be an oculist, that he might devote himself to the task of
restoring to her the blessing of sight. Then he thought how delightful
it would be to lead such a sweet creature through the world, to be eyes
to her darkness, strength to her helplessness--the sun of her clouded
universe. Louis had a natural chivalry about him that invested weakness,
not only with a peculiar charm, but with a sacred right to his
protection. With the quick, bounding impulses of eighteen, his spirit
sprang forward to meet every new attraction. Here was one so novel, so
pure, that his soul seemed purified from the soil of temptation, while
he involuntarily surrendered himself to it, as Miss Thusa's thread grew
white under the bleaching rays of a vernal sun.

Miss Thusa! yes, Miss Thusa came to welcome home her young protege,
unchanged even in dress. It is probable she had had several new garments
since she related to Helen the history of the worm-eaten traveler, but
they were all of the same gray color, relieved by the black silk
neckerchief and white tamboured muslin cap--and under the cap there was
the same opaque fold of white paper, carefully placed on the top of the
head.

Alice had a great curiosity to _see_ Miss Thusa, as she expressed it,
and hear some of her wild legends. When she traced the lineaments, of
her majestic profile, and her finger suddenly rose on the lofty beak of
her nose, she laughed outright. Ali