from head to foot in the folds of a veil of delicate silver
gauze, which, though hiding her countenance from recognition,
nevertheless permitted sufficient of her beauties to be discerned
to suggest the extreme elegance and loveliness of her lineaments.
Advancing toward our hero, and extending to him a tapering hand
as white as alabaster, the fingers encircled with a multitude of
jewelled rings, she addressed him thus:

"Sir," she said, speaking in accents of the most silvery and
musical cadence, "you are no doubt vastly surprised to find
yourself thus unexpectedly, and almost as by violence, introduced
into the house of one who is such an entire stranger to you as
myself. But though I am unknown to you, I must inform you that I
am better acquainted with my visitor, for my agents have been
observing you ever since you landed this afternoon at the dock,
and they have followed you ever since, until a little while ago,
when you stopped immediately opposite my garden gate. These
agents have observed you with a closeness of scrutiny of which
you are doubtless entirely unaware. They have even informed me
that, owing doubtless to your extreme interest in your new
surroundings, you have not as yet supped. Knowing this, and that
you must now be enjoying a very hearty appetite, I have to ask
you if you will do me the extreme favor of sitting at table with
me at a repast which you will doubtless be surprised to learn has
been hastily prepared entirely in your honor."

So saying, and giving Jonathan no time for reply, she offered him
her hand, and with the most polite insistence conducted him into
an exquisitely appointed dining room adjoining.