Should it arise, an overflow of joy. Within that fair apartment, guests might see The comforts cull’d for wealth by vanity. Around the room an Indian paper blazed, 160 With lively tint and figures boldly raised; Silky and soft upon the floor below, Th’ elastic carpet rose with crimson glow; All things around implied both cost and care; What met the eye was elegant or rare. Some curious trifles round the room were laid, By hope presented to the wealthy maid: Within a costly case of varnish’d wood, In level rows, her polish’d volumes stood; Shown as a favour to a chosen few, 170 To prove what beauty for a book could do; A silver urn with curious work was fraught; A silver lamp from Grecian pattern wrought; Above her head, all gorgeous to behold, A time-piece stood on feet of burnish’d gold; A stag’s-head crest adorn’d the pictured case, Through the pure crystal shone th’ enamell’d face; And, while on brilliants moved the hands of steel, It click’d from pray’r to pray’r, from meal to meal. Here as the lady sate, a friendly pair 180 Stept in t’ admire the view, and took their chair. They then related how the young and gay Were thoughtless wandering in the broad highway; How tender damsels sail’d in tilted boats, And laugh’d with wicked men in scarlet coats; And how we live in such degen’rate times That men conceal their wants, and show their crimes; While vicious deeds are screen’d by fashion’s name, And what was once our pride is now our shame. Dinah was musing, as her friends discoursed, 190 When these last words a sudden entrance forced Upon her mind, and what was once her pride And now her shame, some painful views supplied; Thoughts of the past within her bosom press’d, And there a change was felt, and was confess’d. While thus the virgin strove with secret pain, Her mind was wandering o’er the troubled main; Still she was silent, nothing seem’d to see, But sate and sigh’d in pensive reverie. The friends prepared new subjects to begin, 200 When tall Susannah, maiden starch, stalk’d in; Not in her ancient mode, sedate and slow, As when she came, the mind she knew to know; Nor as, when list’ning half an hour before, She twice or thrice tapp’d gently at the door; But, all decorum cast in wrath aside, “I think the devil’s in the man!” she cried; “A huge tall sailor, with his tawny cheek, And pitted face, will with my lady speak; He grinn’d an ugly smile, and said he knew, 210 Please you, my lady, ’twould be joy to you; What must I answer?”--Trembling and distress’d Sank the pale Dinah, by her fears oppress’d; When thus alarm’d, and brooking no delay, Swift to her room the stranger made his way.