young girl came down the saloon toward us, and I saw signs, or rather
emotions, of intelligence pass between Mr. Glendenning and Mrs. March
concerning them.

The older of these ladies was a tall, handsome matron, who bore her
fifty years with a native severity qualified by a certain air of wonder
at a world which I could well fancy had not always taken her at her own
estimate of her personal and social importance. She had the effect of
challenging you to do less, as she advanced slowly between the wall of
state-rooms and the backs of the people gripping their chairs, and eyed
them with a sort of imperious surprise that they should have left no
place for her. So at least I read her glance, while I read in that of
the young lady coming after, and showing her beauty first over this
shoulder and then over that of her mother, chiefly a present amusement,
behind which lay a character of perhaps equal pride, if not equal
hardness. She was very beautiful, in the dark style which I cannot help
thinking has fallen into unmerited abeyance; and as she passed us I
could see that she was very graceful. She was dressed in a lady's
acceptance of the fashions of that day, which would be thought so
grotesque in this. I have heard contemporaneous young girls laugh at the
mere notion of hoops, but in 1870 we thought hoops extremely becoming;
and this young lady knew how to hold hers a little on one side so as to
give herself room in the narrow avenue, and not betray more than the
discreetest hint of a white stocking. I believe the stockings are black
now.

They both got by us, and I could see Mr. Glendenning following them with
longing but irresolute eyes, until they turned, a long way down the
saloon, as if to come toward us again. Then he hurried to meet them, and
as he addressed himself first to one and then to the other, I knew him