had no special brilliance, either of eye or complexion, such as
would produce sudden flames in susceptible hearts; nor did she seem
to demand instant homage by the form and step of a goddess; but we
found her to be a good-looking woman of some thirty or thirty-three
years of age, with soft, peach-like cheeks,--rather too like those
of a cherub, with sparkling eyes which were hardly large enough,
with good teeth, a white forehead, a dimpled chin and a full bust.
Such, outwardly, was Mrs. General Talboys. The description of the
inward woman is the purport to which these few pages will be
devoted.

There are two qualities to which the best of mankind are much
subject, which are nearly related to each other, and as to which the
world has not yet decided whether they are to be classed among the
good or evil attributes of our nature. Men and women are under the
influence of them both, but men oftenest undergo the former, and
women the latter. They are ambition and enthusiasm. Now Mrs.
Talboys was an enthusiastic woman.

As to ambition, generally as the world agrees with Mark Antony in
stigmatising it as a grievous fault, I am myself clear that it is a
virtue; but with ambition at present we have no concern. Enthusiasm
also, as I think, leans to virtue's side; or, at least, if it be a
fault, of all faults it is the prettiest. But then, to partake at
all of virtue, or even to be in any degree pretty, the enthusiasm
must be true.

Bad coin is known from good by the ring of it; and so is bad
enthusiasm. Let the coiner be ever so clever at his art, in the
coining of enthusiasm the sound of true gold can never be imparted