Fixed and fascinated! The woman that but six seconds before appeared
only pretty--that three days before I had supposed supremely beautiful--
was again the _angel_ I had deemed her,--certainly the most beautiful
woman I ever beheld!
What could have caused this change? Was it an illusion--some deception
my senses were practising upon me?
If the lady saw reason to think me rude before, she had double cause
now. I stood transfixed to the spot, gazing upon her with my eyes, my
soul--my every thought concentrated in the glance.
And yet she seemed less frowning than before: for I was sure that she
had frowned. I could not explain this, any more than I could account
for the other transformation. Enough that I was gratified with the
thought of having, not idly, bestowed my sword-knot.
For some time I remained under the spell of a speechless surprise.
It was broken--not by words, but by a new _tableau_ suddenly presented
to my view. Two women were at the window! One was the pretty prude who
had well nigh chased me out of the street; the other, the lovely being
who had attracted me into it!
At a glance I saw that they were sisters.
They were remarkably alike, both in form and features. Even the
expression upon their countenances was similar--that similarity that may
be seen between two individuals in the same family, known as a "family
likeness."
Both were of a clear olive complexion--the tint of the
Moriseo-Spaniard--with large imperious eyes, and masses of black hair
clustering around their necks. Both were tall, of full form, and shaped
as if from the same mould; while in age--so far as appearance went--they
might have been twins.
And yet, despite these many points of personal similarity, in the degree
of loveliness they were vastly different. She who had been offended by
my behaviour was a handsome woman, and only that--a thing of Earth;
while her sister had the seeming of some divine creature whose home
might be in Heaven!