During this examination I had forgotten myself in her, feeling only a strong desire to draw nearer and dive deeper into those two dark wells that seemed so tranquil vet so fathomless, and in the act of trying to fix shape, color and expression in my memory, I lost them all; for a storm of applause broke the attentive hush as the curtain fell, and like one startled from sleep a flash of intelligence lit up the eyes, then a white hand was passed across them, and long downcast lashes hid them from my sight.

            Louis stood up, gave himself a comprehensive survey, and walked out, saying, with a nod,

            “Now, Max, put on your gloves, shake the hair out of your eyes, assume your best ‘deportment,’ and come and take an observation which may immortalize your name.”

            Knocking over a chair in mv haste, I followed close upon his heels, as he tapped at the next door; the lad opened it, bowed to my conductor, glanced at me and strolled away, while we passed in. The elderly lady was awake, now, and received us graciously; the younger was leaning on her hand, the plumy fan held between her and the glare of the great chandelier as she watched the moving throng below.

            “Agatha, here is Mr. Yorke and a friend whom he wishes to present to you,” said the old lady, with a shade of deference in her manner which betrayed the companion, not the friend.

            Agatha turned, gave Louis her hand, with a slow smile dawning on her lip, and looked up at me as if the fact of my advent had no particular interest for her, and my appearance promised no great pleasure.

            “Miss Eure, my friend Max Erdmann yearned to be made happy by a five minutes audience, and I ventured to bring him without sending an avant courier to prepare the wav. Am I forgiven?” with which half daring, half apologetic introduction, Louis turned to the chaperone and began to rattle.

            Miss Eure bowed, swept the waves of silk from the chair beside her, and I sat down with a bold request waiting at my lips till an auspicious moment came, having resolved not to exert myself for nothing. As we discussed the usual topics suggested by the time and place, I looked often into the face before me and soon found it difficult to look away again, for it was a constant surprise to me. The absent mood had passed and with it the frost seemed to have melted from mien and manner, leaving a living woman in the statue’s place. I had thought her melancholy, but her lips were dressed in smiles, and frequent peals of low'-toned laughter parted them like pleasant music; I had thought her pale, but in either cheek now bloomed a color deep and clear as any tint my palette could have given; I had thought her shy and proud at first, but with each moment her manner warmed, her speech grew franker and her whole figure seemed to glow' and brighten as if a brilliant lamp were lit behind the pale shade she had w orn before. But the eyes were the greatest surprise of all — I had fancied them dark, and found them the light, sensitive gray belonging to highly nervous temperaments. They were remarkable eyes; for though softly fringed with shadowy lashes they were not mild, but fiery and keen, w'ith many lights and shadow's in them as the pupils dilated, and the irids shone with a transparent lustre w'hich varied with her varying w'ords, and proved the existence of an ardent, imperious nature underneath the seeming snow.

            They exercised a curious fascination over me and kept my ow'n obedient to their will, although scarce conscious of it at the time and believing mine to be the controlling pow'er. Wherein the charm lay I cannot tell; it was not the influence of a womanly presence alone, for fairer faces had smiled at me in vain; vet as I sat there I felt a pleasant quietude creep over me, I knew my voice had fallen to a lower key, my eye softened from its wonted cold indifference, my manner grown smooth and my demeanor changed to one almost as courtly as my friend’s, who well deserved his soubriquet of “Louis the Debonnair.”

            “It is because my long fret is over,” I thought, and having something to gain, exerted myself to please so successfully that, soon emboldened by her gracious mood and the flattering compliments bestowed upon my earlier works, I ventured to tell mv present strait and the daring hope I had conceived that she would help me through it. How I made this blunt request I cannot tell, but remember that it slipped over my tongue as smoothly as if I had meditated upon it for a week. I glanced over my shoulder as I spoke, fearing Louis might mar all with apology or-reproof; but he was absorbed in the comely duenna, who was blushing like a girl at the half playful, half serious devotion he paid all womankind; and reassured, I waited, wondering how Miss Eure would receive my request. Very quietly; for with no change but a peculiar dropping of the lids, as if her eyes sometimes played the traitor to her will, she answered, smilingly,

            “It is I who receive the honor, sir, not you, for genius possesses the privileges of royalty, and may claim subjects everywhere, sure that its choice ennobles and its power extends beyond the narrow bounds of custom, time and place. When shall I serve you, Mr. Erdmann?”

            At any other time I should have felt surprised both at her and at myself; but just then, in the ardor of the propitious moment, I thought only of my w7ork, and w'ith many thanks for her great kindness left the day to her, secretly hoping she would name an early one. She sat silent an instant, then seemed to come to some determination, for w hen she spoke a shadow of mingled pain and patience swept across her face as if her resolve had cost her some sacrifice of pride or feeling.

            “It is but right to tell'you that I may not always have it in my power to give you the expression you desire to cateh, for the eyes you honor by wishing to perpetuate are not strong and often fail me for a time. I have been utterly blind once and may be again, yet have no present cause to fear it, and if you can come to me on such days as they will serve your purpose, I shall be most glad to do my best for you. Another reason makes me bold to ask this favor of you, I cannot always summon this absent mood, and should certainly fail in a strange place; but in my own home, with all familiar things about me, I can more easily fall into one of my deep reveries and forget time by the hour together. Will this arrangement cause much inconvenience or delay? A room shall be prepared for you — kept inviolate as long as you desire it — and every facility my house affords is at your service, for I feel much interest in the work which is to add another success to your life.”

            She spoke regretfully at first, but ended with a cordial glance as if she had forgotten herself in giving pleasure to another. I felt that it must have cost her an effort to confess that such a dire affliction had ever darkened her youth and might still return to sadden her prime; this pity mingled with my expressions of gratitude for the unexpected interest she bestowed upon my work, and in a few words the arrangement was made, the day and hour fixed, and a great load off my mind. What the afterpiece was I never knew; Miss Eure stayed to please her young companion, Louis stayed to please himself, and I remained because I had not energy enough to go away. For, leaning where I first sat down, 1 still looked and listened with a dreamy sort of satisfaction to Miss Eure’s low voice, as with downcast eyes, still shaded by her fan, she spoke enthusiastically and well of art (the one interesting theme to me) in a manner which proved that she had read and studied more than her modesty allowed her to acknowledge.

            We parted like old friends at her carriage door, and as I walked away with Louis in the cool night air I felt like one who had been asleep in a close room, for I was both languid and drowsy, though a curious undercurrent'of excitement still stirred my blood and tingled along my nerves. “A theatre is no place for me,” I decided, and anxious to forget myself said aloud:

            “ Fell me all you know about that woman.”

            “What woman, Max?”

            “M iss Agatha Eure, the ow ner of the eyes.”

            “Aha! smitten at last! That ever I should live to see our Benedict the victim of love at first sight!”

            “Have done with your nonsense, and answer mv question. 1 don’t ask from mere curiosity, but that I may have some idea howto bear myself at these promised sittings; for it will never do to ask after her papa if she has none, to pay mv respects to the old ladv as her mother if she is only the duenna, or joke with the lad if he is the heir apparent.”

            “Do you mean to sav that you asked her to sit to you?” cried Louis, falling back a step and staring at me with undisguised astonishment.

            “Yes, whv not?”

            “Why-, man, Agatha Eure is the haughtiest piece of humanity ever concocted; and 1, with all mv daring, never ventured to ask more than an occasional dance with her, and feel myself especially favored that she deigns to bow to me, and lets me pick up her gloves or carry her bouquet as a mark of supreme condescension. What witchcraft did you bring to bear upon her? and how did she grant your audacious request?”

            “Agreed to it at once.”

            “Like an empress conferring knighthood, I fancy.”

            “Not at all. More like a pretty woman receiving a compliment to her beauty — though she is not pretty, bv the way.”

            Louis indulged himself in the long, low whistle, which seems the only adequate expression for masculine surprise. I enjoyed his amazement, it was mv turn to laugh now, and I did so, as I said: ‘Aou are always railing at me for my avoidance of all womankind, but you see I have not lost the art of pleasing, for I won your haughty Agatha to mv will in fifteen minutes, and am not onlv to paint her handsome eves, but to do it at her own house, by her own request. I am beginning to find that, after years of effort, I have mounted a few more rounds of the social ladder than I was aware of, and may now confer as well as receive favors; for she seemed to think me the benefactor, and I rather enjoyed the novelty of the thing. Now tell your story of ‘the haughtiest piece of humanity’ ever known. I like her the betcer for that trait.”

            Louis nodded his head, and regarded the moon with an aspect of immense wisdom, as he replied:

            “I understand it now; it all comes back to me, and my accusation holds good, only the love at first sight is on the other side. You shall have your story, but it may leave the picture in the lurch if it causes you to fly off, as you usually see fit to do when a woman’s name is linked with your own. You never saw Miss Eure before; but what you say reminds me that she has seen you, for one day last autumn, as I was driving with her and old madame — a mark of uncommon favor, mind you — we saw you striding along, with your hat over your eyes, looking very much like a comet streaming down the street.