29 S The Leather Plater. 



The old man introduced me thus: "Here, Annie, here's a 

 I do believe he was very nearly saying gentleman, but he 

 checked himself party as has come and bought the bay colt." 



"Has he?" quietly remarked the girl, in a tone that indicated 

 neither interest nor surprise j and, rising from her seat, she made 

 me a kind of half-bow, half-curtsey, in a style which I never saw 

 beaten amongst the highest-bred ones, and drawing herself up to 

 her full height, regarded me with a fixed stare, so steady, so long, 

 and so searching, that I was almost tempted to ask her if she 

 thought she should know me if she saw me again when the old 

 man turned to the door, and calling to her with a rude, " Here, 

 gal," she followed him, and swept out of the room with the air of 

 a Mrs. Siddons. 



Whether or not she would have known me again was of little 

 moment j but I'll swear that only from the parting glimpse which 

 I obtained of that woman, I should have known her again among a 

 thousand. The first glance of Annie Radford left an impression 

 upon my mind which years could not eradicate. I was so taken by 

 surprise so thunderstruck with her surpassing beauty, which 

 flashed so suddenly upon me that for the moment I forgot where 

 I was, and stood vacantly gazing at the door out of which she 

 had just passed, as if I fancied I could see her through it; and 

 I was only aroused from my reverie by the sick man asking me, 

 in a faint, mild tone, " So, you've bought our bay colt, have you, 

 sir?" 



I am not an adept at describing female beauty ; and I very much 

 question whether any pen, however good, could do justice to Annie 

 Radford. Tall and exquisitely formed, with a rich, clear olive com- 

 plexion, dark as that of any Spaniard ; large, full, languishing blue 

 eyes, and hair as black and glossy as the raven's wing. Her fea- 

 tures were as regular and as faultless as her form 5 and there was a 

 look of determination about her beautiful mouth and her sharp, 

 clearly-chiselled chin, which said that if once she got the upper hand 

 of a man, she would be very likely to keep it, and a proud, haughty 

 bearing about the whole woman, which plainly told that she would 



