WYLDER'S HAJVJJ. 29 People complained that acquaintance made little way -with her. That you were, perhaps, well satisfied with your first day's progress, but the next made no head-way; you found yourself this morning exactly at the point from which you commenced yesterday, and to-morrow would re- commence where you started the day before. This is very disappointing, but may sometimes be accounted for by there being nothing really to discover. It seemed to me, however, that the distance had positively increased since yesterday, and that the oftener she met me the more strange she became. If Dorcas Brandon had been a plain woman, I think she would have been voted an impertinent bore; but she was so beautiful that she became an enigma. I looked at her as she stood gravely gazing from the win- dow. Is it Lady Macbeth? No; she never would have had energy to plan her husband's career and manage that affair of Duncan. A sultana rather — sublimely egotisti- cal, without reverence — a voluptuous and haughty embo- diment of indifference. I paused, looking at a picture, but thinking of her, and was surprised by her voice very near me. . "Will you give me just a minute Mr. De Cresseron, in the drawing-room, while I show you a miniature? I want your opinion." So she floated on and I accompanied her. "I think," she said, "you mentioned yesterday, that you remembered me when an infant. You remember my poor mamma, don't you, very well?" This was the first time she had yet shown any tenden- cy, so far as I had seen, to be interested in anything, or to talk to me. I seized the occasion, and gave her, as well as I could, the sad and pretty picture that remained, and always will, in the vacant air, when I think of her, on the mysterious retina of memory.