Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1873-10-30

ter before me.
"This is rather a cold element for
pledge-offering, Miss Knowles" |
said, "but at least it is n pure one.
Suppose we drink to neighborhood
and friendship"
| had succeeded. She did look at
me again, her eyes resting on my face
with an indescribable expression.
! "You are bold man, Mr.. Denvers,
she said finally, "to offer that pledge
to an utter stranger. Why, | might
be-anything! thief or murderer,
for what you know!"
"Oh, pray allow me more skill in
physiognomy," said l, thinking the
while how oddly her words chimed in
with those of Webster Il minute ago.
"You believe in physiognomy? So
do l." she said quickly; then, as if
repenting of even that slight impul-
siveness, she resumed in the old tone,
"Still, suppose after all | were to turn
out a desperate character-what would
You say then?'
II should say, with one of our New
York judges, that there must have
been alternating circumstances" |
replied, laughing.
She smiled. and reached out her
hand to her glass: ''Nery well, TO
neighborhood and friendship then,
since you choose to run the risk"
This little dialogue had been car
ried on thus far under cover of a rath-
er noisy discussion opposite, but here
some one spoke to Miss Knowles, and
/ was obliged to content myself with
obser, ing her. did not find it a tire
some occupation. She was very
handsome woman-tor, though un-
married and evidently young, no one
would have thought of calling Miss
Knowles a GIRL and there was much
more than beauty in her face, there
was a meaning in every line, mean-
ing which suggested that hers had
been no ordinary or easy life. But
though set face, it was not hard
one, and attracted in spite of itself.
Miss Knowles, l think it is too
unkind y said the person who had in
tenupted us, one of the prettiest little
schoolgirls l ever saw, leaning for
ward from our side of the table. "You
haven't spoken word to me yet. I
do believe you've forgotten that we're
engaged"
"By Jove! Miss Knowles is to be
cnvied. ~ 1t was Webster who said
this, and the marked way in which
he said it made the speech a rude one.
Deblay perhaps thought so, for he
said instantly,
ooh, mon Dieu! yes, Mees Noailles
and Mees Morrell are to be envied and
blamed alike, both the two! 1t is
cruel of your sex to monopolize itself
against us miserables, you hear, Mad
emoiselle Morrell ?"
If one had fancied Miss Knowles
face hard, he would have changed his
pind in watching the smile with which
she answered the laughing young girl,
a smile out of which the ice had melt
ed and left pure sunlight
"No, I've not forgotten, Rosa she
said "but you know of old / never
kiss and tell"
1t was peculiarity ofthis woman's,
AS | had occasion later repeatedly
to observe-that, whatever she said
Or did, she could not help being re-
markable, so much her personality
made itself felt in everything. She
made that quotation from the common
little song jus, as anybody might have
done, carelessly, and manifestly with
out thought of effect, yet | do not
believe there was n man at the table
who heard it from her lips quite un-
moved Even Webster lifted his
eyes to her with a kind of sullen ad
miration, tribute which he was as
unwilling to give as she to receive,
but which was forced from him against
his will.
My pledge of friendship, I am con-
strained to admit, did not advance me
as | could have wished with Miss
Knowles. A certain degree of pro
gress she allowed me to make, but
never one step beyond. Oddly enough,
it was a kind of disagreement which
served me most, and which came
about in this way. One evening ]
had been reading to her, and had just
closed the book as twilight came on,
when my attention was attracted by q
newly married pair in the balcony op.