ad," said Roderick, "and her name is as
good as yours or mine."

"You call her"--Mr. Leavenworth blandly inquired.

"Miss Light," Rowland interposed, in charity.

"Ah, our great American beauty! Not a pagan goddess--an American,
Christian lady! Yes, I have had the pleasure of conversing with Miss
Light. Her conversational powers are not remarkable, but her beauty
is of a high order. I observed her the other evening at a large party,
where some of the proudest members of the European aristocracy were
present--duchesses, princesses, countesses, and others distinguished by
similar titles. But for beauty, grace, and elegance my fair countrywoman
left them all nowhere. What women can compare with a truly refined
American lady? The duchesses the other night had no attractions for my
eyes; they looked coarse and sensual! It seemed to me that the tyranny
of class distinctions must indeed be terrible when such countenances
could inspire admiration. You see more beautiful girls in an hour on
Broadway than in the whole tour of Europe. Miss Light, now, on Broadway,
would excite no particular remark."

"She has never been there!" cried Roderick, triumphantly.

"I 'm afraid she never will be there. I suppose you have heard the news
about her."

"What news?" Roderick had stood with his back turned, fiercely poking
at his lazzarone; but at Mr. Leavenworth's last words he faced quickly
about.

"It 's the news of the hour, I believe. Miss Light is admired by the
highest people here. They tacitly recognize her superiority. She has had
offers of marriage from various great lords. I was extremely happy
to learn this circumstance, and to know that they all had been left
sighing. She has not been dazzled by their titles and their gilded
coronets. She has judged them simply as men, and found them wanting. One
of them, however, a young Neapolitan prince, I believe, has after a long
probation succeeded in making himself acceptable. Miss Light has at last
said yes, and the engagement has just been announced. I am not generally
a retailer of gossip of this description, but the fact was alluded to
an hour ago by a lady with whom I was conversing, and here, in Europe,
these conversational trifles usurp the lion's share of one's attention.
I therefore retained the circumstance. Yes, I regret that Miss Light
should marry one of these used-up foreigners. Americans should stand by
each other. If she wanted a brilliant match we could have fixed i