ired her. My endeavours to obtain an introduction as an artist to
her father and brothers had been unsuccessful, and at length I was
indebted to a fortunate incident for an opportunity of conversing
with her unobserved. One evening, near the close of the last Carnival,
I saw her enter with her friends the place of St Mark, near the new
church of San Geminiano. She wore only a half-mask, and her graceful
mien and fine person could not be disguised. My mask and domino were
similar to those of her youngest brother, who resembled me also
somewhat in person. The imperfect light and the confusion of the
assembled crowd separated her from her party; and while endeavouring
to rejoin them, she approached me, mistook me for her brother, put her
arm within mine, and with charming vivacity, whispered in my ear some
comments on the motley groups around us. You will readily conjecture
that I promptly availed myself of the brief and golden opportunity. I
glanced rapidly around, and finding that we were unobserved, I
partially raised my mask. She had so often observed me gazing upon her
with undisguised and rapturous admiration, that she recognised me at
once, and tacitly acknowledged it by a blush which suffused every
visible feature with crimson. In glowing and beautiful confusion she
attempted to withdraw her arm, but I retained it firmly, and in
low but emphatic tones, I told her that I had long loved her with
sincerity and ardour; that I could fairly boast of constancy and
discretion, of education and refinement; that no man so well
understood her value, or would encounter and endure so much to win
her affections. All this and more I poured into her ear with rapid and
glowing diction, and with the impassioned gesture which is natural to
me. Timid and irresolute, she accompanied me some paces, paused, and
in trembling emotion again attempted to withdraw her arm, but was
still urged forward by my impetuosity. At length, by a sudden effort,
she escaped; but, as she quitted, whispered with bewitching hesitation
and timidity--'_To-morrow morning, at Santi Giovanni e Paolo._' Soon
as these words fell on my delighted ear, I plunged into the crowd of
masks, in token of my discretion and prompt obedience to her will. The
emotion excited by this early and unexpected proof of sympathy was
so rapturous and overwhelming, that I abandoned myself to all the
extravagance of sudden bliss. I flew on wings of ecstasy along the
streets, bounded over t