night. Other portions of the opera, Zerlina's
touching remonstrance with her jealous lover, the prayer, the
whirlwind of passion in which the first act terminates, the
semi-grotesque marvels of the second with their wonderful music, all
excited more or less emotion; but none so fresh and absorbing as that
induced by the immortal duet between the peasant-girl and the
profligate.

And a particular circumstance distracted Randolph's attention during
the second act. In the interval which followed the first, Mrs. Winter
called her young friends' notice to the house, then very well filled,
instructed them in its technicalities, and pointed out a few notable
personages among the audience, whom she happened to know by sight.
While in this manner she was directing Randolph's eye along the tier
of boxes level with her own, his regard fell upon a young lady of so
remarkable an aspect, that after mechanically following Mrs. Winter's
instruction, he turned hastily to look once more at his fair
neighbour. Never in his life, he thought, had he seen so attractive an
object. She was evidently engaged in an animated conversation with
some one in the back of the box whom he could not see. Playfulness
sparkled in her otherwise soft eyes, archness curved her brows, and
Randolph almost imagined he could hear the silvery laugh which parted
her lips. He tried to obtain a glimpse of the happy person to whom she
was talking, but the attempt was vain. He could only discover that
with her there was an elderly lady, whose back was turned towards him.
It was not to her that the sallies of the young one were addressed.
Randolph began to construct a romance, still gazing on the interesting
box. Suddenly he caught his charmer's eye. It was but for a moment; he
could not see that the expression of her face varied in the most
trifling particular; yet he felt that he blushed like fire, and he
perceived that the elder lady leant forward, and looked towards him.
What, thought he, lowering his eyes for an instant, and pursuing his
romance, is she so quick in detecting a glance? It must be the mother.
The thought passed, and he looked up. He encountered the supposed
mother's gaze fixed full upon his face. Had he not seen those features
before? Ideas raced through his mind with a dream-like rapidity. Some
theorists say that the visions of a night are contained in the moment
of falling asleep. Surely equally swift was the flight of that lady's
thoughts; or wh