proceedings of the persons in the next box. There seemed to be some sudden
cause of distress, as I gathered from exclamations of "How unlucky!--How
distressing!--What shall we do?--What can we do?--Better go away--carriage
gone!--must sit it out--May be she won't mind--Oh! she will--Shylock!--
Jessica!--How unfortunate!--poor Miss Berry!"

"Jessica!" whispered Mowbray to me, with an arch look: "let me pass," added
he, just touching my shoulder. He made his way to a young lady at the other
end of the box; and I, occupying immediately the ceded place, stationed
myself so that I had a better view of my object, and could observe her
without being seen by any one. She was perfectly still, and took no notice
of the whispering of the people about her, though, from an indescribable
expression in the air of the back of her head and neck, I was convinced
that she heard all that passed among the young and old ladies in her box.
The play went on--Shylock appeared--I forgot every thing but him.--Such a
countenance!--Such an expression of latent malice and revenge, of every
thing detestable in human nature! Whether speaking or silent, the Jew fixed
and kept possession of my attention. It was an incomparable piece of
acting: much as my expectations had been raised, it far surpassed any thing
I had conceived--I forgot it was Macklin, I thought only of Shylock. In my
enthusiasm I stood up, I pressed forward, I leaned far over towards the
stage, that I might not lose a word, a look, a gesture. When the act
finished, as the curtain fell, and the thunders of applause died away, I
heard a soft low sigh near me; I looked, and saw the Jewess! She had turned
away from the young ladies her companions, and had endeavoured to screen
herself behind the pillar against which I had been leaning. I had, for the
first time, a full view of her face and of her countenance, of great
sensibility, painfully, proudly repressed. She looked up while my eyes were
fixed upon her--a sudden and deep colour spread over her face and mounted
to her temples. In my confusion I did the very thing I should not have