urnished with exquisite taste and elegance,--in fact, a perfect bower
of the graces; and, to my somewhat voluptuous mind, not the least
attractive feature of it, was a magnificent and luxurious _bed_,
mysteriously hidden beneath a profuse cloud of snowy drapery, heavily
laden with costly lace. I had already pictured to myself the delights
of an amorous dalliance within that bower of Venus, with one whose
glorious beauty could not have been surpassed by that of the ardent
goddess herself--but how grievously was I doomed to be disappointed,
at the very moment when I fancied my triumph certain! But I must not
anticipate my story.

"In answer to my respectful, and I must own, somewhat timid, knock at
the chamber door, I heard the musical but subdued voice of her
ladyship bidding me to 'come in.' I entered, and having softly closed
the door, noiselessly turned the key in the lock, and advanced to
where she was seated by a table, upon which there stood wine, and
materials of a _recherche_ supper. Drawing a chair close to her
ladyship, I seated myself, and gazed at her long and ardently, while
she, apparently unconscious of my presence, seemed to be deeply
engaged in perusing a splendid volume of Byron's poems.

"Surprised and not perfectly at ease, in consequence of her silence
and abstraction (for she had not even glanced at me,) I at length
ventured to observe--

"'Your ladyship sees that I am punctual; as of course I could not
neglect to keep so delightful an appointment.'

"Still she answered nothing, nor even raised her eyes from the book!
During the silence of some minutes that ensued, I had an excellent
opportunity to feast my eyes upon the seraphic loveliness of her face,
and the admirable proportions of her queen-like form. She was dressed
with studied simplicity, and in a style half _neglige_, infinitely
more fascinating than the most elaborate full dress. A robe of snowy
whiteness, made so as to display her plump, soft arms, and fine,
sloping shoulders, and entirely without ornament, constituted her
attire; and a single white rose alone relieved the jet darkness of her
clustering hair. She was seated in a manner that enabled me to view
her profile to the best advantage; I was never more forcibly struck
with its purely classical and Grecian outlines; and I observed that a
soft expression of melancholy was blended with the usual _hauteur_
t