The Argosy — page 86: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

76 Eve: An Idyll. ' floated by. It was the very poetry of motion. Two exceedingly hand- some young people, possessed apparently by the same feeling, governed by the same impulse, they danced as though one soul animated both bodies. And what was passing in their minds the while? Into hers at least we may venture to peep, and I may tell you that the predominant feeling was astonishment at the flood of rapture which seemed to fill her heart . Yes, the tender glances of those bright eyes, blue as a glimpse of Heaven, met for the first time amid the charms of nature, without any meretricious surroundings to divert her attention from their influence, warmed the cold heart of the Countess, as none had ever warmed it before. She seemed to tread on air, and hung upon his words; a happy flush was on her cheek, a happy light within her eyes; and none at that moment could have recognised the cold, capricious Countess of Millamant, who stole so many hearts, and scorned them all. They talked familiarly, and he told her his name was Ralph Stedman ; that he was bailiff toa great lord in the west, and had come there after some horses and hounds for his master, amusing himself meanwhile with fishing. And she, driven to her wits’ end for a tale to tell, yet determined not to betray her identity ; which, as it seemed to her, would break the spell and dissipate a happy dream ; said that she lived with her friend, Prudence May, and plaited straw to make fine ladies’ hats, and gained a livelihood as best she might. And so they danced and talked, and looked into each other's eyes, till both were far gone in that sweet delusion which some call love, and some but idle folly. . The Countess had forgotten all her airs and affectations, and seemed a sweet child of nature all unspoiled by art; while he, though but a rustic swain, graced by some tincture of manners and refinement, seemed to her one of nature’s noblemen ; and she cared for naught beside. “ Fair Eve,” he said, “would I were Adam for thy sake—fain would I dwell with thee for ever, though Paradise were lost. Say, how shall we meet again. Night is approaching, when we must part. Oh! doubly night, when thou art gone. Tell me where to find thee, or I shall die !” “Nay, this ‘is overbold; can you expect a modest maiden to give meetings to a man she has seen but once? Oh, fie!” ‘Why fie? Not fie at all. We are alike in age, in station, and, as I hope, in temper, and in taste. Most lovely maid, more lovely in thy simple charms than the court belles in their brocades and paint, from the first moment I beheld you, all my heart was thine. Look kindly on my suit. When shall we meet again?” She thought, “ He little knows how unlike I am to what I seem. I must not go ;” but she said, “I cannot promise, yet mayhap to-morrow Prudence and I may take an early walk—should the sun but shine if not, we stay at home in yonder cottage by the stream.” >‘): le comicbooks.com 1