ed walls; a cupboard with glass doors contained some books and an ancient set of china。 There was no superfluous ornament in the room—not one modern piece of furniture; save a brace of workboxes and a lady’s desk in rosewood; which stood on a side…table: everything—including the carpet and curtains—looked at once well worn and well saved。
Mr。 St。 John—sitting as still as one of the dusty pictures on the walls; keeping his eyes fixed on the page he perused; and his lips mutely sealed—was easy enough to examine。 Had he been a statue instead of a man; he could not have been easier。 He was young— perhaps from twenty…eight to thirty—tall; slender; his face riveted the eye; it was like a Greek face; very pure in outline: quite a straight; classic nose; quite an Athenian mouth and chin。 It is seldom; indeed; an English face es so near the antique models as did his。 He might well be a little shocked at the irregularity of my lineaments; his own being so harmonious。 His eyes were large and blue; with brown lashes; his high forehead; colourless as ivory; was partially streaked over by careless locks of fair hair。
This is a gentle delineation; is it not; reader? Yet he whom it describes scarcely impressed one with the idea of a gentle; a yielding; an impressible; or even of a placid nature。 Quiescent as he now sat; there was something about his nostril; his mouth; his brow; which; to my perceptions; indicated elements within either restless; or hard; or eager。 He did not speak to me one word; nor even direct to me one glance; till his sisters returned。 Diana; as she passed in and out; in the course of preparing tea; brought me a little cake; baked on the top of the oven。
“Eat that now;” she said: “you must be hungry。 Hannah says you have had nothing but some g