Aboutallthistherewasanobilityofsouladignityofcandor-
whichdelightedwhichenchantedmewhicheternallyrivetedmychains。Icouldscarcelyrestraintheexcessivetransportwhichpossessedme。
“MysweetestEugenie。”Icried，“whatisallthisaboutwhichyouarediscoursing？Youryearssurpassinsomemeasuremyown。Butwhatthen？Thecustomsoftheworldaresomanyconventionalfollies。Tothosewholoveasourselves，inwhatrespectdiffersayearfromanhour？Iamtwenty-two，yousay，granted：indeed，youmayaswellcallme，atonce，twenty-three。Nowyouyourself，mydearestEugenie，canhavenumberednomorethancanhavenumberednomorethannomorethanthanthanthan-“
HereIpausedforaninstant，intheexpectationthatMadameLalandewouldinterruptmebysupplyinghertrueage。ButaFrenchwomanisseldomdirect，andhasalways，bywayofanswertoanembarrassingquery，somelittlepracticalreplyofherown。Inthepresentinstance，Eugenie，whoforafewmomentspasthadseemedtobesearchingforsomethinginherbosom，atlengthletfalluponthegrassaminiature，whichIimmediatelypickedupandpresentedtoher。
“Keepit！”shesaid，withoneofhermostravishingsmiles。“Keepitformysakeforthesakeofherwhomittooflatteringlyrepresents。Besides，uponthebackofthetrinketyoumaydiscover，perhaps，theveryinformationyouseemtodesire。Itisnow，tobesure，growingratherdarkbutyoucanexamineitatyourleisureinthemorning。Inthemeantime，youshallbemyescorthometo-night。Myfriendsareaboutholdingalittlemusicallevee。Icanpromiseyou，too，somegoodsinging。WeFrencharenotnearlysopunctiliousasyouAmericans，andIshallhavenodifficultyinsmugglingyouin，inthecharacterofanoldacquaintance。”
Withthis，shetookmyarm，andIattendedherhome。Themansionwasquiteafineone，and，Ibelieve，furnishedingoodtaste。Ofthislatterpoint，however，Iamscarcelyqualifiedtojudge；foritwasjustdarkaswearrived；andinAmericanmansionsofthebettersortlightsseldom，duringtheheatofsummer，maketheirappearanceatthis，themostpleasantperiodoftheday。Inaboutanhouraftermyarrival，tobesure，asingleshadedsolarlampwaslitintheprincipaldrawing-room；andthisapartment，Icouldthussee，wasarrangedwithunusualgoodtasteandevensplendor；buttwootherroomsofthesuite，andinwhichthecompanychieflyassembled，remained，duringthewholeevening，inaveryagreeableshadow。Thisisawell-conceivedcustom，givingthepartyatleastachoiceoflightorshade，andonewhichourfriendsoverthewatercouldnotdobetterthanimmediatelyadopt。
Theeveningthusspentwasunquestionablythemostdeliciousofmylife。MadameLalandehadnotoverratedthemusicalabilitiesofherfriends；andthesingingIhereheardIhadneverheardexcelledinanyprivatecircleoutofVienna。Theinstrumentalperformersweremanyandofsuperiortalents。Thevocalistswerechieflyladies，andnoindividualsanglessthanwell。Atlength，uponaperemptorycallfor“MadameLalande。”shearoseatonce，withoutaffectationordemur，fromthechaiselongueuponwhichshehadsatbymyside，and，accompaniedbyoneortwogentlemenandherfemalefriendoftheopera，repairedtothepianointhemaindrawing-room。Iwouldhaveescortedhermyself，butfeltthat，underthecircumstancesofmyintroductiontothehouse，IhadbetterremainunobservedwhereI
was。Iwasthusdeprivedofthepleasureofseeing，althoughnotofhearing，hersing。
Theimpressionsheproduceduponthecompanyseemedelectricalbuttheeffectuponmyselfwassomethingevenmore。Iknownothowadequatelytodescribeit。Itaroseinpart，nodoubt，fromthesentimentoflovewithwhichIwasimbued；butchieflyfrommyconvictionoftheextremesensibilityofthesinger。Itisbeyondthereachofarttoendoweitherairorrecitativewithmoreimpassionedexpressionthanwashers。HerutteranceoftheromanceinOtello
thetonewithwhichshegavethewords“Sulmiosasso。”intheCapulettiisringinginmymemoryyet。Herlowertoneswereabsolutelymiraculous。Hervoiceembracedthreecompleteoctaves，extendingfromthecontraltoDtotheDuppersoprano，and，thoughsufficientlypowerfultohavefilledtheSanCarlos，executed，withtheminutestprecision，everydifficultyofvocalcomposition-ascendinganddescendingscales，cadences，orfiorituri。
InthefinaloftheSomnambula，shebroughtaboutamostremarkableeffectatthewords：
Ah！nonguingeumanpensieroAlcontentoond’iosonpiena。
Here，inimitationofMalibran，shemodifiedtheoriginalphraseofBellini，soastolethervoicedescendtothetenorG，when，byarapidtransition，shestrucktheGabovethetreblestave，springingoveranintervaloftwooctaves。
Uponrisingfromthepianoafterthesemiraclesofvocalexecution，sheresumedherseatbymyside；whenIexpressedtoher，intermsofthedeepestenthusiasm，mydelightatherperformance。OfmysurpriseIsaidnothing，andyetwasImostunfeignedlysurprised；foracertainfeebleness，orratheracertaintremulousindecisionofvoiceinordinaryconversation，hadpreparedmetoanticipatethat，insinging，shewouldnotacquitherselfwithanyremarkableability。
Ourconversationwasnowlong，earnest，uninterrupted，andtotallyunreserved。Shemademerelatemanyoftheearlierpassagesofmylife，andlistenedwithbreathlessattentiontoeverywordofthenarrative。IconcealednothingfeltthatIhadarighttoconcealnothingfromherconfidingaffection。Encouragedbyhercandoruponthedelicatepointofherage，Ientered，withperfectfrankness，notonlyintoadetailofmymanyminorvices，butmadefullconfessionofthosemoralandevenofthosephysicalinfirmities，thedisclosureofwhich，indemandingsomuchhigheradegreeofcourage，issomuchsureranevidenceoflove。Itoucheduponmycollegeindiscretionsuponmyextravagancesuponmycarousals-uponmydebtsuponmyflirtations。Ievenwentsofarastospeakofaslightlyhecticcoughwithwhich，atonetime，Ihadbeentroubledofachronicrheumatismofatwingeofhereditarygout-and，inconclusion，ofthedisagreeableandinconvenient，buthithertocarefullyconcealed，weaknessofmyeyes。
“Uponthislatterpoint。”saidMadameLalande，laughingly，“youhavebeensurelyinjudiciousincomingtoconfession；for，withouttheconfession，Itakeitforgrantedthatnoonewouldhaveaccusedyouofthecrime。Bytheby。”shecontinued，“haveyouanyrecollection-“
andhereIfanciedthatablush，eventhroughthegloomoftheapartment，becamedistinctlyvisibleuponhercheek“haveyouanyrecollection，moncheramiofthislittleocularassistant，whichnowdependsfrommyneck？”
Asshespokeshetwirledinherfingerstheidenticaldoubleeye-glasswhichhadsooverwhelmedmewithconfusionattheopera。
“Fullwellalas！doIrememberit。”Iexclaimed，pressingpassionatelythedelicatehandwhichofferedtheglassesformyinspection。Theyformedacomplexandmagnificenttoy，richlychasedandfiligreed，andgleamingwithjewels，which，eveninthedeficientlight，Icouldnothelpperceivingwereofhighvalue。
“Ehbien！monami“sheresumedwithacertainempressmentofmannerthatrathersurprisedme“Ehbien！monami，youhaveearnestlybesoughtofmeafavorwhichyouhavebeenpleasedtodenominatepriceless。Youhavedemandedofmemyhanduponthemorrow。ShouldI
yieldtoyourentreatiesand，Imayadd，tothepleadingsofmyownbosomwouldInotbeentitledtodemandofyouaveryaverylittlebooninreturn？”
“Nameit！”Iexclaimedwithanenergythathadnearlydrawnuponustheobservationofthecompany，andrestrainedbytheirpresencealonefromthrowingmyselfimpetuouslyatherfeet。“Nameit，mybeloved，myEugenie，myown！nameit！but，alas！itisalreadyyieldederenamed。”
“Youshallconquer，then，monami。”saidshe，“forthesakeoftheEugeniewhomyoulove，thislittleweaknesswhichyouhaveatlastconfessedthisweaknessmoremoralthanphysicalandwhich，letmeassureyou，issounbecomingthenobilityofyourrealnature
soinconsistentwiththecandorofyourusualcharacterandwhich，ifpermittedfurthercontrol，willassuredlyinvolveyou，soonerorlater，insomeverydisagreeablescrape。Youshallconquer，formysake，thisaffectationwhichleadsyou，asyouyourselfacknowledge，tothetacitorimplieddenialofyourinfirmityofvision。For，thisinfirmityyouvirtuallydeny，inrefusingtoemploythecustomarymeansforitsrelief。Youwillunderstandmetosay，then，thatI
wishyoutowearspectacles；ah，hush！youhavealreadyconsentedtowearthem，formysake。YoushallacceptthelittletoywhichInowholdinmyhand，andwhich，thoughadmirableasanaidtovision，isreallyofnoveryimmensevalueasagem。Youperceivethat，byatriflingmodificationthusorthusitcanbeadaptedtotheeyesintheformofspectacles，orworninthewaistcoatpocketasaneye-glass。Itisintheformermode，however，andhabitually，thatyouhavealreadyconsentedtowearitformysake。”
ThisrequestmustIconfessit？confusedmeinnolittledegree。Buttheconditionwithwhichitwascoupledrenderedhesitation，ofcourse，amatteraltogetheroutofthequestion。
“Itisdone！”Icried，withalltheenthusiasmthatIcouldmusteratthemoment。“Itisdoneitismostcheerfullyagreed。Isacrificeeveryfeelingforyoursake。To-nightIwearthisdeareye-glass，asaneye-glass，anduponmyheart；butwiththeearliestdawnofthatmorningwhichgivesmethepleasureofcallingyouwife，Iwillplaceituponmyuponmynose，andthereweariteverafterward，inthelessromantic，andlessfashionable，butcertainlyinthemoreserviceable，formwhichyoudesire。”
Ourconversationnowturneduponthedetailsofourarrangementsforthemorrow。Talbot，Ilearnedfrommybetrothed，hadjustarrivedintown。Iwastoseehimatonce，andprocureacarriage。Thesoireewouldscarcelybreakupbeforetwo；andbythishourthevehiclewastobeatthedoor，when，intheconfusionoccasionedbythedepartureofthecompany，MadameL。couldeasilyenteritunobserved。Wewerethentocallatthehouseofaclergymanwhowouldbeinwaiting；
therebemarried，dropTalbot，andproceedonashorttourtotheEast，leavingthefashionableworldathometomakewhatevercommentsuponthematteritthoughtbest。
Havingplannedallthis，Iimmediatelytookleave，andwentinsearchofTalbot，but，ontheway，Icouldnotrefrainfromsteppingintoahotel，forthepurposeofinspectingtheminiature；andthisIdidbythepowerfulaidoftheglasses。Thecountenancewasasurpassinglybeautifulone！Thoselargeluminouseyes！thatproudGreciannose！
thosedarkluxuriantcurls！“Ah！”saidI，exultinglytomyself，“thisisindeedthespeakingimageofmybeloved！”Iturnedthereverse，anddiscoveredthewords“EugenieLalandeagedtwenty-sevenyearsandsevenmonths。”
IfoundTalbotathome，andproceededatoncetoacquainthimwithmygoodfortune。Heprofessedexcessiveastonishment，ofcourse，butcongratulatedmemostcordially，andprofferedeveryassistanceinhispower。Inaword，wecarriedoutourarrangementtotheletter，and，attwointhemorning，justtenminutesaftertheceremony，I
foundmyselfinaclosecarriagewithMadameLalandewithMrs。
Simpson，Ishouldsayanddrivingatagreatrateoutoftown，inadirectionNortheastbyNorth，half-North。
IthadbeendeterminedforusbyTalbot，that，asweweretobeupallnight，weshouldmakeourfirststopatC，avillageabouttwentymilesfromthecity，andtheregetanearlybreakfastandsomerepose，beforeproceedinguponourroute。Atfourprecisely，therefore，thecarriagedrewupatthedooroftheprincipalinn。I
handedmyadoredwifeout，andorderedbreakfastforthwith。Inthemeantimewewereshownintoasmallparlor，andsatdown。
Itwasnownearlyifnotaltogetherdaylight；and，asIgazed，enraptured，attheangelbymyside，thesingularideacame，allatonce，intomyhead，thatthiswasreallytheveryfirstmomentsincemyacquaintancewiththecelebratedlovelinessofMadameLalande，thatIhadenjoyedanearinspectionofthatlovelinessbydaylightatall。
“Andnow，monami。”saidshe，takingmyhand，andsointerruptingthistrainofreflection，“andnow，moncherami，sinceweareindissolublyonesinceIhaveyieldedtoyourpassionateentreaties，andperformedmyportionofouragreementIpresumeyouhavenotforgottenthatyoualsohavealittlefavortobestow