ty she would have
remained seated.

"Yes, we have come," was heard in hearty tones from the door-way, and
Mr. Sylvester with a proud look which Bertram long remembered, ushered
into their presence a young girl whose simple cloak and bonnet in no
wise prevented Mrs. Sylvester from recognizing the somewhat uncommon
beauty she had been led to expect.

"Paula, this is your cousin Ona, and--Ah, Bertram, glad to see you--this
is my only nephew, Mr. Sylvester."

The young girl, lost in the sudden glamour of numerous lights, shining
upon splendors such as she may have dreamed of over the pages of
Irving's Alhambra, but certainly had never before seen, blushed with
very natural embarrassment, but yet managed to bestow a pretty enough
greeting upon the elegant woman and handsome youth, while Ona after the
first moment of almost involuntary hesitation, took in hers the two
trembling hands of her youthful cousin and actually kissed her cheek.

"I am not given to caresses as you know," she afterwards explained in a
somewhat apologetic tone to her husband; "and anything like an appeal
for one on the part of a child or an inferior, I detest; but her simple
way of holding out her hand disarmed me, and then such a face demands a
certain amount of homage, does it not?" And her husband in his surprise,
was forced to acknowledge to himself, that as closely as he had studied
his wife's nature for ten years, there were certain crooks and turns in
it which even he had never penetrated.

"You look dazzled," that lady exclaimed, gazing not unkindly into the
young girl's face; "the sudden glare of so much gas-light has bewildered
you."

"I do not think it is that," returned Paula with a frank and admiring
look at the gorgeous room and the circle of pleasant faces about her.
"Sudden lights I can bear, but I have come from a little cottage on the
hillside and the magnificence of nature does not prepare you for the
first sudden view of the splendors of art."

Mrs. Sylvester smiled and cast a side glance of amusement at Bertram.
"You admire our new hangings I see," remarked she with an indulgence of
the other's _naeivete_ that greatly relieved her husband.

But in that instant a change had come across Paula; the simple country
maid had assimilated herself with the surroundings, and with a sudden
grace and dignity that were unstudied as they were charming, dropped her
eyes from her cousin's portrait--that for some reason seemed to shine
wit