ANOTHER CHAPTER ON THE " RIGHTS OF WOMAN." 271 



that she was only twenty-five. She exhibited the appearance of 

 a woman somewhat worn, but the paleness of her complexion, her 

 thin cheeks, and the blue semicircle surrounding her large black eyes, 

 gave an expression of pensive decision, of quick and grasping intelli- 

 gence, and of melancholy firmness, to a face which, in the beauty of 

 its outline, might challenge a comparison with the most perfect ca- 

 meos of antiquity. 



Now, who or what could this beautiful incognita be ? Was she a 

 queen, or a courtezan? a prima donna, or a princess ? Here was 

 ample matter for tasking the curiosity of St. Julien. 



After a journey performed in a state of the utmost suspense, he 

 discovered, to his no small satisfaction, on arriving at the hotel at 

 Lyons, that she was the Princess Quintilia Cavalcanti, the sovereign 

 of a Lombard principality, some twenty miles in circumference. 

 Instead of seeking a place of entertainment more suited to his humble 

 fortunes, St. Julien determined at once to take up his quarters at the 

 hotel, in order to see her once more, though but for an instant, 

 although by so doing he ran the risk of spending more money in 

 a day than he had proposed to do in a week. 



He changed his costume, and seated himself in the court, opposite 

 the windows, when, as luck would have it, the princess soon ap- 

 peared, and threw herself in a rather careless attitude into an arm- 

 chair on the balcony, to enjoy the somewhat original amusement of 

 what, gentle reader ? canst thou divine ? We defy thee, be thy 

 penetration what it may. Well, then, not to keep thee in suspense 

 to enjoy the amusement of smoking small perfumed cigars, and listen- 

 ing to the contents of an Italian journal. 



Her eye soon rested on St. Julien, and she turned to her at- 

 tendant 



" ' Ginetta is not that the youth we picked up on the road this 

 morning ?' 



" ' Yes, your highness.' 

 " s He has changed his dress ?' 

 " * It would seem so, your highness.' 

 " t He is stopping here, then ?' 

 " ' I believe so, your highness.' " 



The princess then called for an opera-glass, and having directed it 

 full upon St. Julien, she exclaimed, " Non e troppo brutto," ( not so 

 bad, either), and she continued her inspection, while her chaplain 

 still continued reading the Italian journal. 



St. Julien had undergone no very brilliant transformation in point 

 of dress ; his travelling bag had supplied him with a plain blonse 

 jacket, a pair of white trousers, and a very fine and very white shirt ; 

 but this jacket fitting close to the person, displayed proportions of 

 almost feminine delicacy and elasticity. 



" His shirt open at the collar, a very fair neck, half concealed by long, 

 black curls. A velvet barrette or foraging-cap, placed crossways on his 

 head, gave him the appearance of an amorous and poetical page. 



" ' Now that he is no longer covered with dust,' said Ginetta, ' he has 

 quite the air of a gentleman.' 



