“Beautiful!” cried a dozen voices in a breath, as soon as the song was concluded.
“So exquisitely pathetic!” murmured one.
“So perfectly natural!” exclaimed another.
“It is admirable; is it not, sir?” said a young lady with a remarkable pair of languishing eyes, as she directed their eloquent gaze full upon the handsome face of Oriel Porphyry.
“No doubt it is, madam, if you think so,” replied the merchant’s son, with more politeness than sincerity.
“Ah! our opinions are the same—the effect of a mutual sympathy. How charming!” observed the young beauty languidly. “Do you believe in the theory of mutual sympathies?”
“I must confess I know nothing about it,” acknowledged Oriel.
“Innocence exemplified!” exclaimed his companion, regarding him with more evident admiration. “I will explain it to you. There exists in every human creature in one sex a decided inclination towards some human creature in the other sex, which is never developed till those two meet together, and then it immediately becomes manifest. Now suppose, for example, I possess a certain amicable feeling, which remains perfectly unknown until I meet with you for the first time, when an immediate consciousness tells me that my sympathy is excited.”
“Wonderful, isn’t it?” said Posthumous.