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DUTY AND INCLINATION.
49

then advanced to make their salutations to the company. Anticipating the success of his last night's declaration, the appearance of Douglas manifested if possible more than usual attraction. His dress was elegant and fashionable. His eyes, animated and piercing, immediately fell upon that countenance which never failed to rivet their gaze: but how soon did every look and gesture, correspondent to his mental joy, vanish upon perceiving Rosilia's coldness towards him! Upon his first appearing indeed, his quick glance showed him the colour heightening upon her cheek, but a moment after, he saw it fade away, and give place to an expression calmly pensive. Her interesting perturbation had been appeased, he thought, by the influence of her sister's melody; for who, more than Rosilia, had a soul attuned to harmony?

She who was harmony itself, though she never touched the lyre, nor breathed forth the exquisite charm of song, was still ever in her heart awake to each sweet and captivating strain; each note of melody never failed to soothe or elevate her fancy. She had received some instructions in music, but had never cultivated the art, willingly yielding the pre-eminence to her sister, whose powers of execution were in a high degree brilliant. It was in the chaste and beautiful art of painting, Rosilia parti-