eet dreams
of youth untroubled by love, the face of Aurora before she met
Tithonus. From the little curls of gold on the low brow to the smile
that hovered forever, half formed, on the softly curving lips and over
the rounded chin, there was a light of sweetness, and goodness, and
beauty, to be read of all men, and perhaps in God's good time to be
worshipped by one.

Budsey announced "Mrs. Belding and Miss Halice," and Farnham hastened
to greet them.

If Sam Sleeny had few happy hours to enjoy, he could at least boast
himself that one was beginning now. The lovely face bore to his heart
not only the blessing of its own beauty, but also a new and infinitely
consoling thought. He had imagined till this moment, in all
seriousness, that Maud Matchin was the prettiest woman in the world,
and that therefore all men who saw her were his rivals, the chief of
whom was Farnham. But now he reflected, with a joyful surprise, that in
this world of rich people there were others equally beautiful, and that
here, under Farnham's roof, on terms of familiar acquaintance with him,
was a girl as faultless as an angel,--one of his own kind. "Why, of
course," he said to himself, with a candid and happy self-contempt,
"that's _his_ girl--you dunderheaded fool--what are you botherin'
about?"

He took a delight which he could not express in listening to the
conversation of these friends and neighbors. The ladies had come over,
in pursuance of an invitation of Farnham's, to see the additions which
had recently arrived from Europe to his collection of bronzes and
pottery, and some little pictures he had bought at the English
water-color exhibition. As they walked about the rooms, expressing their
admiration of the profusion of pretty things which filled the cabinets
and encumbered the tables, in words equally pretty and profuse, Sleeny
listened to their voices as if it were music played to cheer him at his
work. He knew nothing of the things they were talking about, but their
tones were gentle and playful; the young lady's voice was especially
sweet and friendly. He had never heard such voices before; they are
exceptional everywhere in America, and particularly in our lake
country, where the late springs develop fine high sopranos, but leave
much to be desired in the talking tones of women. Alice Belding had
been taught to use her fine voice as it deserved and Cordelia's
intonations could not have been more "soft, gentle, and low,--an
excell