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The maidens caught the spirit and answered back glance for glance, and
being equipped for conquest let go the full battery of their woman's
witchery. It made a charming spectacle of young and noble blood
indulging in the abandon of the hour. There were dames that set the
pace for modest maidenhood, that ogled with the younger beaux,--(as
they do to this day). Lady Bettie Payne swept her fingers over the
keys of an Italian spinet, that was ornamented with precious stones,
and sat upon a table of coral-veined wood; she sung soft and tenderly
of the amours of Corydon, and neither her voice nor the low tinkling
of the spinet reached to the further end of the room where Adrian
Cantemir played upon the grand harpsichord a dashing piece that was
intended to charm at least, the beauteous Katherine, who stood near.
Lord Cedric leant over and begged the Russian count to change the tune
to a gavotte. He did so, and Cedric brought forth Katherine and placed
her fair to watch his step till she might catch the changes.


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