and wearing the broad hat with uplifted brim characteristic of
Virginians. I passed these by with a glance, my attention
concentrating upon the other two--a middle-aged young man, and a young
woman standing side by side. The former was a dashing looking blade,
of not more than forty, attired in blue, slashed coat, ornamented with
gilt buttons, and bedecked at collar and cuffs with a profusion of
lace. A saffron colored waist-coat failed to conceal his richly
beruffled shirt, and the hilt of a rapier was rather prominently
displayed. Such dandies were frequently enough seen, but it was this
man's face which made marked contrast with his gay attire. He was
dark, and hook-nosed, apparently of foreign birth, with black
moustache tightly clipped, so as to reveal the thin firmness of his
lips, and even at that distance I could perceive the lines of a scar
across his chin. Altogether there was an audacity to his face, a
daring, convincing me he was no mere lady's knight, but one to whom
fighting was a trade. He was pointing us out to his companion,
apparently joking over our appearance, in an endeavor to amuse.
Seemingly she gave small heed to his words, for although her eyes
followed where he pointed, they never once lighted with a smile, nor
did I see her answer his sallies. She was scarcely more than a girl,
dressed very simply in some clinging dark stuff, with a loose gray
cloak draping her shoulders, and a small, neat bonnet of straw perched
upon a mass of coiled hair. The face beneath was sweetly piquant, with
dark eyes, and rounded cheeks flushed with health. She stood, both
hands clasping the rail, watching us intently. I somehow felt as
though her eyes were upon me, and within their depths, even at that
distance, I seemed to read a message of sympathy and kindness. The one
lasting impression her face left on my memory was that of innocent
girlhood, dignified by a womanly tenderness.