accomplishment of dancing, gazed with dazzled and admiring eyes at the wonderful evolutions of the graceful performers.  The music stirred him a good deal; he had also been introduced to one or two young persons as Mr. Hopkins, the poet, and he began to feel a kind of excitement, such as was often the prelude of a lyric burst from his pen.  Others might have wealth and beauty, he thought to himself, but what were these to the gift of genius?  In fifty years the wealth of these people would have passed into other hands.  In fifty years all these beauties would be dead, or wrinkled and double-wrinkled great-grandmothers.  And when they were all gone and forgotten, the name of Hopkins would be still fresh in the world’s memory.  Inspiring thought!  A smile of triumph rose to his lips; he felt that the village boy who could look forward to fame as his inheritance was richer than all the millionnaires, and that the words he should set in verse would have an enduring lustre to which the whiteness of pearls was cloudy, and the sparkle of diamonds dull.

He raised his eyes, which had been cast down in reflection, to look upon these less favored children of Fortune, to whom she had given nothing but perishable inheritances.  Two or three pairs of eyes, he observed, were fastened upon him.  His mouth perhaps betrayed a little self-consciousness, but he tried to show his features in an aspect of dignified self-possession.  There seemed to be remarks and questionings going on, which he supposed to be something like the following:—­

Which is it?  Which is it?—­Why, that one, there,—­that young fellow,—­don’t you see?—­What young fellow are you two looking at?  Who is he?  What is he?—­Why, that is Hopkins, the poet.—­Hopkins, the poet!  Let me see him!  Let me see him!  Hopkins?  What!  Gifted Hopkins? etc., etc.

Gifted Hopkins did not hear these words except in fancy, but he did unquestionably find a considerable number of eyes concentrated upon him, which he very naturally interpreted as an evidence that he had already begun to enjoy a foretaste of the fame of which he should hereafter have his full allowance.  Some seemed to be glancing furtively, some appeared as if they wished to speak, and all the time the number of those looking at him seemed to be increasing.  A vision came through his fancy of himself as standing on a platform, and having persons who wished to look upon him and shake hands with him presented, as he had heard was the way with great people when going about the country.  But this was only a suggestion, and by no means a serious thought, for that would have implied infatuation.

Gifted Hopkins was quite right in believing that he attracted many eyes.  At last those of Myrtle Hazard were called to him, and she perceived that an accident was making him unenviably conspicuous.  The bow of his rather large white neck-tie had slid round and got beneath his left ear.  A not very good-natured or well-bred young fellow had pointed out the subject of this slight misfortune to one or two others of not much better taste or breeding, and thus the unusual attention the youthful poet was receiving explained itself.  Myrtle no sooner saw the little accident of which her rural friend was the victim than she left her place in the dance with a simple courage which did her credit.