terrestrial scene, than one of its earthly inhabitants.
Her large, wondering eyes looked upon the beholder in
childlike innocence."

   Sounds simple, doesn't it? One might suspect there was
something wrong with the girl's brain. But listen to
this:—

   "The mind of Madeline, elegantly formed by the devoted
labours of the venerable Abbe, her tutor, was of a degree
of culture rarely found in one so young. Though scarce
eighteen summers had flown over her head at the time when
we introduce her to our readers, she was intimately
conversant with the French, Italian, Spanish, and Provencal
tongues. The abundant pages of history, both ancient and
modern, sacred and profane, had been opened for her by
her devoted instructor. In music she played with exquisite
grace and accuracy upon both the spinet and the harpsichord,
while her voice, though lacking something in compass,
was sweet and melodious to a degree."

   From such a list of accomplishments it is clear that
Madeline could have matriculated, even at the Harvard
Law School, with five minutes preparation. Is it any
wonder that there was a wild rush for Madeline? In fact,
right after the opening description of the Heroine, there
follows an ominous sentence such as this:—

   "It was this exquisite being whose person Lord Rip de
Viperous, a man whose reputation had shamed even the most
licentious court of the age, and had led to his banishment
from the presence of the king, had sworn to get within
his power."

   Personally I don't blame Lord Rip a particle; it must
have been very rough on him to have been banished from
the presence of the king—enough to inflame a man to do
anything.

   With two such characters in the story, the scene was set

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