But, anyhow," he added, in
a voice that was lower still, "go and tell Monsieur Marche-a-Terre
what has happened."
The traveller, who was a young man of medium height, wore a dark blue
coat and high black gaiters coming above the knee and over the
breeches, which were also of blue cloth. This simple uniform, without
epaulets, was that of the pupils of the Ecole Polytechnique. Beneath
this plain attire Mademoiselle de Verneuil could distinguish at a
glance the elegant shape and nameless /something/ that tells of
natural nobility. The face of the young man, which was rather ordinary
at first sight, soon attracted the eye by the conformation of certain
features which revealed a soul capable of great things. A bronzed
skin, curly fair hair, sparkling blue eyes, a delicate nose, motions
full of ease, all disclosed a life guided by noble sentiments and
trained to the habit of command. But the most characteristic signs of
his nature were in the chin, which was dented like that of Bonaparte,
and in the lower lip, which joined the upper one with a graceful
curve, like that of an acanthus leaf on the capital of a Corinthian
column. Nature had given to these two features of his face an
irresistible charm.
"This young man has singular distinction if he is really a
republican," thought Mademoiselle de Verneuil.
To see all this at a glance, to brighten at the thought of pleasing,
to bend her head softly and smile coquettishly and cast a soft look
able to revive a heart that was dead to love, to veil her long black
eyes with lids whose curving lashes made shadows on her cheeks, to
choose the melodious tones of her voice and give a penetrating charm
to the formal words, "Monsieur, we are very much obliged to you,"--all
this charming by-play took less time than it has taken to describe it.
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