e in such an unnatural position, I more than ever marveled
how I, or any woman, could ever have ventured on so terrible a
trial, or survived the venture. It seemed to me as if the mere gaze
of all that multitude must melt the slight figure away like a
wreath of vapor in the sun, or shrivel it up like a scrap of silver
paper before a blazing fire. It made poor Dr. Moore and myself both
cry, but there was a deal more sympathy in my tears than in his;
for I had known the dizzy terror of that moment, had felt the
ground slide from under my feet and the whole air become a sea of
fiery rings before my swimming eyes. Besides my fellow-feeling for
her actual agony, I had one for what her after trials may be, and I
hoped for her that she might be able to see the truth of all things
in the midst of all things false; and then, if she takes pleasure
in her gilded toys, she will not have too bitter a heartache when
they are broken. She sang well, and soon recovered from her fright,
which, even from the first, did not affect her voice. She is rather
pretty, but does not walk or move gracefully; she was well dressed,
all but her hair, which was dressed in the present frizzy French
fashion, and looked ridiculous for Mandane. Her singing was good,
of a good style; I do not mean only that she sang "Fly, soft ideas,
fly," and "Monster away!" and "The Soldier Tired," brilliantly,
because they do not test the best singing, but the _soave
sostenuto_ of her "If e'er the cruel tyrant love," and "Let not
rage thy bosom firing," were specimens of the best and most
difficult school of singing. They were flowing, smooth, soft, and
sweet, without trick or device of mere florid ornamentation, and
were as intrinsically good in her execution as they are admirable
in that peculiar style of composition. Her shake is not genuine,
and some of her rapid descending scales want finish and accuracy;
her use of her arms and her gestures were very pretty and graceful,
and we were all greatly pleased with her. Braham was magnificently
great, in spite of his inches. What a noble artist he is! and with
what wonderful vigor he acts through his singing! being no actor at
all the moment he stops singing. Wilson sang out of tune; the music
is not in his voice, and he was frightened. Miss Cawse was rather