flings, or snapping of the fingers, in delighted confidence of succeeding at last; but the maiden coyly, demurely, foots it round, yet never gets out of the way, intending to be won.

’The German asks his madchen if she will, with him, for an hour forget the cares and common-places of life in a tumult of rapturous sympathy, and she smiles with Saxon modesty her Ja.  He sustains her in his arms; the music begins.  At first, in willing mazes they calmly imitate the planetary orbs, but the melodies flow quicker, their accordant hearts beat higher, and they whirl at last into giddy raptures, and dizzy evolutions, which steal from life its free-will and self-collection, till nothing is left but mere sensation.

’The French couple are somewhat engaged with one another, but almost equally so with the world around them.  They think it well to vary existence with plenty of coquetry and display.  First, the graceful reverence to one another, then to their neighbors.  Exhibit your grace in the chasse,—­made apparently solely for the purpose of dechasseing;—­then civil intimacy between the ladies, in la chaine, then a decorous promenade of partners, then right and left with all the world, and balance, &c.  The quadrille also offers opportunity for talk.  Looks and sympathetic motions are not enough for our Parisian friends, unless eked out by words.

’The impassioned bolero and fandango are the dances for me.  They are not merely loving, but living; they express the sweet Southern ecstasy at the mere gift of existence.  These persons are together, they live, they are beautiful; how can they say this in sufficiently plain terms?—­I love, I live, I am beautiful!—­I put on my festal dress to do honor to my happiness; I shake my castanets, that my hands, too, may be busy; I felice,—­felicissima!’

This first series of conversations extended to thirteen, the class meeting once a week at noon, and remaining together for two hours.  The class were happy, and the interest increased.  A new series of thirteen more weeks followed, and the general subject of the new course was “the Fine Arts.”  A few fragmentary notes only of these hours have been shown me, but all those who bore any part in them testify to their entire success.  A very competent witness has given me some interesting particulars:—­

“Margaret used to come to the conversations very well dressed, and, altogether, looked sumptuously.  She began them with an exordium, in which she gave her leading views; and those exordiums were excellent, from the elevation of the tone, the ease and flow of discourse, and from the tact with which they were kept aloof from any excess, and from the gracefulness with which they were brought down, at last, to a possible level for others to follow.  She made a pause, and invited the others to come in.  Of course, it was not easy for every one to venture her remark, after an eloquent discourse, and in the presence of twenty superior women, who were all inspired.  But whatever was said, Margaret knew how to seize the good meaning of it with hospitality, and to make the speaker feel glad, and not sorry, that she had spoken.  She showed herself thereby fit to preside at such meetings, and imparted to the susceptible a wonderful reliance on her genius.”