ly than the rest of the audience, a
gentleman and a young lady seated next each other; the latter, who was
about thirteen years old, was so uncommonly beautiful that Paul,
despite his dramatic enthusiasm, could scarcely divert his eyes from her
countenance to the stage. Her hair, of a bright and fair auburn, hung
in profuse ringlets about her neck, shedding a softer shade upon a
complexion in which the roses seemed just budding as it were into blush.
Her eyes, large, blue, and rather languishing than brilliant, were
curtained by the darkest lashes; her mouth seemed literally girt with
smiles, so numberless were the dimples that every time the full, ripe,
dewy lips were parted rose into sight; and the enchantment of the
dimples was aided by two rows of teeth more dazzling than the richest
pearls that ever glittered on a bride. But the chief charm of the face
was its exceeding and touching air of innocence and girlish softness;
you might have gazed forever upon that first unspeakable bloom, that all
untouched and stainless down, which seemed as if a very breath could mar
it. Perhaps the face might have wanted animation; but perhaps, also, it
borrowed from that want an attraction. The repose of the features was so
soft and gentle that the eye wandered there with the same delight, and
left it with the same reluctance, which it experiences in dwelling on
or in quitting those hues which are found to harmonize the most with its
vision. But while Paul was feeding his gaze on this young beauty, the
keen glances of Long Ned had found an object no less fascinating in a
large gold watch which the gentleman who accompanied the damsel ever
and anon brought to his eye, as if he were waxing a little weary of the
length of the pieces or the lingering progression of time.

"What a beautiful face!" whispered Paul.

"Is the face gold, then, as well as the back?" whispered Long Ned, in
return.

Our hero started, frowned, and despite the gigantic stature of his
comrade, told him, very angrily, to find some other subject for jesting.
Ned in his turn stared, but made no reply.

Meanwhile Paul, though the lady was rather too young to fall in love
with, began wondering what relationship her companion bore to her.
Though the gentleman altogether was handsome, yet his features and the
whole character of his face were widely different from those on
which Paul gazed with such delight. He was not, seemingly, above
five-and-forty, but his forehead