dress
gorgeously or not? What did Solomon in all his glory wear? If Aspatria
only knew how dress catches a man's eye, and then touches his vanity,
and then sets fire to his imagination, and finally, somehow, someway,
gets to his heart! If she only knew,--

'All thoughts, all passions, all delights,
Whatever stirs this mortal frame,
Are but the ministers of Love,
And feed his sacred flame!'"

A little before nine, Ulfar entered Sarah's drawing-room. It was
lighted with wax candles. It was sweet with fresh violets, and at the
farther end Aspatria stood by her harp. She was dressed for Lady
Chester's ball, and was waiting her chaperon; but there had been a
little rebellion against her leaving without giving her admirers one
song. Every person was suggesting his or her favourite; and she stood
smiling, uncertain, listening, watching, for one voice and face.

Her dazzling bodice was clasped with emeralds; her draperies were of
damasked gauze, shot with gold and silver, and abloom with flowers.
Her fair neck sparkled with diamonds; and the long white fingers which
touched the strings so firmly glinted with flashing gems. The moment
Ulfar entered, she saw him. His eyes, full of fiery prescience, forced
her to meet their inquiry; and then it was that she sat down and
filled the room with tinkling notes, that made every one remember the
mountains, and the merry racing of the spring winds, and the trickling
of half-hidden fountains.

Sarah advanced with him. She touched Aspatria slightly, and said:
"Hush! a moment. This is my friend Sir Ulfar Fenwick, Ria."

Ria lifted her eyes sweetly to his eyes; she bowed with the grace and
benignity of a queen, and adroitly avoided speech by turning the
melody into song:--

"I never shall forget
The mountain maid that once I met
By the cold river's side.
I met her on the mountain-side;
She watched her herds unnoticed there:
'Trim-bodiced maiden, hail!' I cried.
She answered, 'Whither, Wanderer?
For thou hast lost thy way.'"

Every word went to Ulfar's heart, and amid all the soft cries of
delight he alone was silent. She was beaming with smiles; she was
radiant as a goddess; the light seemed to vanish from the room when
she went away. Her adieu was a general one, excepting to Ulfar. On
him she turned her bright eyes, and courtesied low with one upward
glance. It set his heart on fire. He knew that glance. They might say
this or that, they might lie to