I
watched anxiously for the appearance of my family, and presently in
came Eustace and Annora. My mother had the migraine, and my brother
had taken upon him, without asking leave, to carry off my sister!
I had never seen her look so well as she did, with that little spirit
of mischief upon her, lighting her beautiful eyes and colouring her
cheeks. Madame de Rambouillet whispered to me that she was a perfect
nymph, with her look of health and freshness. Then M. Darpent came
in, and his grave face blushed with satisfaction as he saw his
friend, my Lord Walwyn, present.
His was a fine face, though too serious for so young a man. It was a
complete oval, the hair growing back on the forehead, and the beard
being dark and pointed, the complexion a clear pale brown, the eyes
with something of Italian softness in them, rather than of French
vivacity, the brows almost as if drawn with a pencil, the mouth very
grave and thoughtful except when lighted by a smile of unusual
sweetness. As a lawyer, his dress was of plain black with a little
white collar fastened by two silken tassels (such as I remember my
Lord Falkland used to wear). It became him better than the gay coats
of some of our nobles.
The circle being complete by this time, the young orator was placed
in the midst, and began to read aloud his manuscript, or rather to
recite it, for after the fire of his subject began to animate him, he
seldom looked at the paper.
Pages:
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158