who was a pock-marked, red-faced, and red-armed single woman, about
her mistress's own age and weight, though less stout to the eye.

Of Rose we shall not stop to say much here. Her deep-blue eye, which
was equally spirited and gentle, if one can use such contradictory
terms, seemed alive with interest and curiosity, running over the
brig, the wharf, the arm of the sea, the two islands, and all near
her, including the Alms-House, with such a devouring rapidity as
might be expected in a town-bred girl, who was setting out on her
travels for the first time. Let us be understood; we say town-bred,
because such was the fact; for Rose Budd had been both born and
educated in Manhattan, though we are far from wishing to be
understood that she was either very well-born, or highly educated.
Her station in life may be inferred from that of her aunt, and her
education from her station. Of the two, the last was, perhaps, a
trifle the highest.

We have said that the fine blue eye of Rose passed swiftly over the
various objects near her, as she alighted from the cab, and it
naturally took in the form of Harry Mulford, as he stood in the
gangway, offering his arm to aid her aunt and herself in passing the
brig's side. A smile of recognition was exchanged between the young
people, as their eyes met, and the colour, which formed so bright a
charm in Rose's sweet face, deepened, in a way to prove that that
colour spoke with a tongue and eloquence of its own. Nor was
Mulford's cheek mute on the occasion, though he helped the
hesitating, half-doubting, half-bold girl along the plank with a
steady hand and rigid muscles. As for the aunt, as a captain's
widow, she had not felt it necessary to betray any extraordinary
emotions in ascending the plank, unless, indeed, it might be those