at kindled into almost a smile of exalted,
glad intelligence as her eye met mine. Never had she looked so lovely:
never had my heart so warmly cleaved to her as now. Had we been left two
minutes longer standing there alone, I cannot answer for the
consequences. Happily for my discretion, perhaps for my enjoyment during
the remainder of the day, we were speedily summoned to the repast--a very
respectable collation, which Rose, assisted by Miss Wilson and Eliza,
who, having shared her seat in the carriage, had arrived with her a
little before the rest, had set out upon an elevated platform overlooking
the sea, and sheltered from the hot sun by a shelving rock and
overhanging trees.

Mrs. Graham seated herself at a distance from me. Eliza was my nearest
neighbour. She exerted herself to be agreeable, in her gentle,
unobtrusive way, and was, no doubt, as fascinating and charming as ever,
if I could only have felt it. But soon my heart began to warm towards
her once again; and we were all very merry and happy together--as far as
I could see--throughout the protracted social meal.

When that was over, Rose summoned Fergus to help her to gather up the
fragments, and the knives, dishes, &c., and restore them to the baskets;
and Mrs. Graham took her camp-stool and drawing materials; and having
begged Miss Millward to take charge of her precious son, and strictly
enjoined him not to wander from his new guardian's side, she left us and
proceeded along the steep, stony hill, to a loftier, more precipitous
eminence at some distance, whence a still finer prospect was to be had,
where she preferred taking her sketch, though some of the ladies told her
it was a frightful place, and advised her not to attempt it.

When she was gone, I felt as if there was to be no more fun--though it is
difficult to say what she had contributed to the hilarity of the party.
No jests, and little laughter, had escaped her lips; but her smile had
animated my mirth; a keen observation or a cheerful word from her had
insensibly sharpened my wits, and thrown an interest over all that was
done and said by the rest. Even my conversation with Eliza had been
enlivened by her presence, though I knew it not; and now that she was
gone, Eliza's playful nonsense ceased to amuse me--nay, grew wearisome to
my soul, and I grew weary of amusing her: I felt myself drawn by an
irresistible attraction to that distant point where the fair artist sat
and plied her sol