That Audrey, lithe of mind as of body; who in the woods seemed the spirit of the woods, in the garden the spirit of the garden, on the water the spirit of the water,--that this Audrey, in using the speech of the poet, should embody and become the spirit of that speech was perhaps, considering all things, not so strange.

At any rate, and however her power came about, at that moment, in Fair View house, a great actress was speaking.
"'Fresh blooming Hope, gay daughter of the skies, And Faith'"-- The speaker lost a word, hesitated, became confused.

Finally silence; then the Audrey of a while before, standing with heaving bosom, shy as a fawn, fearful that she had not pleased him, after all.

For if she had done so, surely he would have told her as much.

As it was, he had said but one word, and that beneath his breath, "_Eloisa!_" It would seem that her fear was unfounded; for when he did speak, there were, God wot, sugar-plums enough.