Doubtless the having been left alone
in the world at so tender an age, had done much towards producing
the expression in question. It was added to, moreover, by the
singular grace of the girl's figure and mode of standing there
before the stranger, as she had risen from her easel on his
presenting her with the Director's note.
She was rather above the middle height, and very slender;--more so,
the Englishman thought again, than she ought to have been. She was
very poorly and even insufficiently clad. But the little bit of
quite plain linen around her slim throat was spotlessly clean; and
her poor and totally unornamented chocolate-coloured stuff dress was
in decently tidy condition, and was worn with that nameless and
inexplicable grace which causes it to be said of similarly gifted
women that they may wear anything.
And the stranger was delighted, too, with her manner in accepting
his proposition. Though she made no attempt to conceal, and, indeed,
eagerly expressed her sense of the value to her of the proposal that
was made to her, there was a modest, and at the same time self-
respecting, dignity about her acceptance of it, which was to his
mind an earnest of the highly conscientious manner in which the task
would be carried out.
It was therefore settled at once that Paolina, together with her
friend and protectress, the Signora Orsola Steno, should proceed to
Ravenna as soon as she could conveniently do so.
Pages:
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145