er also, more for her secret than for
her heart. But she was a perfect mystery--I never knew till her death
who she was. Her residence was at no time mentioned, and I believe that
no one knew it but the lady of the house and myself, when Mrs Causand
herself gave it me at the eve of my departing for my ship. She came
without notice, stayed as long as she chose, and departed with an equal
disregard to ceremony.

She loved me to a folly. She would hold me at her knees by the hour,
and scan every feature of my countenance, as Ophelia said of Hamlet, "as
she would draw it." And then she smiled and looked grave, and sighed
and laughed; and I, like a little fool, set all these symptoms of
perturbation down to my own unfledged attractions, whilst during their
perusal she would often exclaim, "So like him!--so like him!" I do not
know whether I ought to mention it, for it is a censorious world; but,
as I cannot enter into, or be supposed to understand, the feelings of a
fine woman of thirty-five caressing a lad of fifteen, I have a right to
suppose all such demonstrations of fondness highly virtuous and purely
maternal; though, perhaps, to the fair bestower a little pleasant! I
found them exquisitely so. I bore all her little blandishments with a
modest pleasure; for, observing the high respect in which she was
generally held, I looked upon these testimonials of affection as a great
honour, sought them with eagerness, and remembered them with gratitude.

Manner is perhaps more seducing than mere beauty; but where they are
allied, the captivation is irresistible. That subduing alliance was to
be found, in perfection, in the person of Mrs Causand. As she always
dressed up to the very climax of the fashion, possessed a great variety
of rich bijouterie, and never came down to us in the stage, but always
posted it, I concluded that she was in very easy circumstances.

I cannot speak as to the extent of her mental powers, as her surface was
so polished and dazzling, that the eye neither could nor wished to look
more deeply into her. I believe that she had no other accomplishment
but that gorgeous cloak for all deficiency--an inimitable manner. Her
remarks were always shrewd, and replete with good sense; her language
was choice; her style of conversation varying, sometimes of that joyous
nature that has all the effect, without the pedantry of wit, upon the
hearer, and, at times, she could be really quite energetic. This i