d easily for gentlewomanliness.
She always dressed becomingly, and in what Fiddletown accepted as the
latest fashion. She had only two blemishes: one of her velvety eyes,
when examined closely, had a slight cast; and her left cheek bore a
small scar left by a single drop of vitriol--happily the only drop of
an entire phial--thrown upon her by one of her own jealous sex, that
reached the pretty face it was intended to mar. But, when the observer
had studied the eyes sufficiently to notice this defect, he was
generally incapacitated for criticism; and even the scar on her cheek
was thought by some to add piquancy to her smile. The youthful editor
of "The Fiddletown Avalanche" had said privately that it was "an
exaggerated dimple." Col. Starbottle was instantly "reminded of the
beautifying patches of the days of Queen Anne, but more particularly,
sir, of the blankest beautiful women, that, blank you, you ever laid
your two blank eyes upon,--a Creole woman, sir, in New Orleans. And this
woman had a scar,--a line extending, blank me, from her eye to her
blank chin. And this woman, sir, thrilled you, sir; maddened you, sir;
absolutely sent your blank soul to perdition with her blank fascination!
And one day I said to her, 'Celeste, how in blank did you come by that
beautiful scar, blank you?' And she said to me, 'Star, there isn't
another white man that I'd confide in but you; but I made that scar
myself, purposely, I did, blank me.' These were her very words, sir, and
perhaps you think it a blank lie, sir; but I'll put up any blank sum you
can name and prove it, blank me."

Indeed, most of the male population of Fiddletown were or had been in
love with her. Of this number, about one-half believed that their love
was returned, with the exception, possibly, of her own husband. He alone
had been known to express scepticism.

The name of the gentleman who enjoyed this infelicitous distinction was
Tretherick. He had been divorced from an excellent wife to marry this
Fiddletown enchantress. She, also, had been divorced; but it was hinted
that some previous experiences of hers in that legal formality had made
it perhaps less novel, and probably less sacrificial. I would not have
it inferred from this that she was deficient in sentiment, or devoid of
its highest moral expression. Her intimate friend had written (on the
occasion of her second divorce), "The cold world does not understand
Clara yet;" and Col. Starbottle had remarked