testimony of your eyes, the choice would not
have taken you five minutes. His attitude was ease itself: his legs
slightly crossed, perhaps the better to exhibit a very well-rounded
instep, which shone forth in all the splendour of French varnish: his
travelling cap jauntily thrown on one side, so as to display to better
advantage his perfumed locks, that floated in a graceful manner
somewhat lengthily on his neck; the shawl around his neck had so much
of negligence, as to show that the splendid enamel pin that fastened it,
was a thing of little moment to the wearer: all were in keeping with
the _nonchalant_ ease, and self-satisfaction of his look, as with
half-drooping lids he surveyed the deck, caressing with his jewelled
fingers the silky line of his moustache, and evidently enjoying in
his inmost soul the triumphant scene of conquest his very appearance
excited. Indeed, a less practised observer than himself could not fail
to remark the unequivocal evidences the lady portion of the community
bore to his success: the old ones looked boldly at him with that
fearless intrepidity that characterizes conscious security--their
property was insured, and they cared not how near the fire came to
them; the very young participated in the sentiment from an opposite
reason--theirs was the unconsciousness of danger; but there was a middle
term, what Balzac calls, "_la femme de trente ans_," and she either
looked over the bulwarks, or at the funnel, or on her book, any where
in short but at our friend, who appeared to watch this studied denial on
her part, with the same kind of enjoyment the captain of a frigate would
contemplate the destruction his broadsides were making on his enemy's
rigging--and perhaps the latter never deemed his conquest more assured
by the hauling down of he enemy's colours, than did the "Honourable
Jack," when a letdown veil convinced him that the lady could bear no
more.

I should like to have watched the proceedings on deck, where, although
no acquaintance had yet been formed, the indications of such were
clearly visible: the Alderman's daughters evincing a decided preference
for walking on that side where Jack was standing, he studiously
performing some small act of courtesy from time to time as they passed,
removing a seat, kicking any small fragment of rope, &c.; but the motion
of the packet began to advertize me that note-taking was at an end, and
the best thing I could do would be to compose myself.