tatuary marble; but if
the least excited or animated, the colour would mantle in her cheek; her
eyes would beam, till they appeared as if, like bright planets, they
could almost cast a shadow; and dimples, before concealed, would show
themselves when indulged in her silvery laugh. Although her form was
commanding, still she was very feminine: there was great attraction in
her face, even when in repose--she was cold, but not chilling.

I had seen little of her for three years, during which she had sprung up
to womanhood, for she was now seventeen, and appeared to be at least
eighteen years old before. Before, when we were living together, we
kissed as brother and sister: since we had again become inmates of the
same house, we had been friends, but nothing more. Bessy certainly
showed as great a preference to me as our relative situations would
admit; but still it appeared as if the extreme intimacy of childhood had
been broken off, and that it was necessary that a renewed intimacy under
another aspect should take place, to restore us to our former relations.
Here it was for me to make the first overtures; not for her, as
maidenly reserve would not permit it. Bramble seemed to be most anxious
that such should be the case--indeed, considered it as a matter of
course: perhaps Bessy thought so too in her own bosom; and the continual
raillery of Bramble did more harm than good, as it appeared to warrant
her thinking that it ought to be so. Why it was not I will now explain
to the reader.

I have already made mention of Mr Wilson, the lawyer, whose
acquaintance we procured through Sir Hercules and his lady. This
intimacy had very much increased; and a Miss Janet Wilson had come home
from a finishing seminary near town. Between this young lady and my
sister Virginia a certain degree of intimacy had been formed, and of
course I had seen a great deal of her at the times when I was at
Greenwich. She was a very pretty and very diminutive girl, but
beautifully proportioned, although so very small; indeed, she was
considered quite a model in figure, at least my mother used to say so,
and I never heard any one disagree with her. Janet had, moreover, large
eyes, pencilled eyebrows, and a dimpled chin. Now, as Bessy was away at
the time when I first made her acquaintance, if all these perfections
were not enough for me to fall in love with, I must have been difficult
to please at the age of eighteen, when one is not so very d