" Thereupon she pointed out the inaccuracies of his
answer, he standing beside her, silent and attentive. When she
ceased, he did not immediately reply.
"You will take it in good part, will you not?" she continued. "I
hope I have not offended you."
"No!" he exclaimed, firmly, lifting his head, and looking at her.
The inscrutable expression in his dark gray eyes was stronger than
before, and all his features were more clearly drawn. He reminded
her of a picture of Adam which she had once seen: there was the
same rather low forehead, straight, even brows, full yet strong
mouth, and that broader form of chin which repeats and
balances the character of the forehead. He was not positively
handsome, but from head to foot he expressed a fresh, sound quality
of manhood.
Another question flashed across Miss Bartram's mind: Is life long
enough to transform this clay into marble? Here is a man in form,
and with all the dignity of the perfect masculine nature: shall the
broad, free intelligence, the grace and sweetness, the taste and
refinement, which the best culture gives, never be his also? If
not, woman must be content with faulty representations of her
ideal.
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