easurerelievedmymindofthatfondandoppressivefancy.
ThethreeIalludetowerejustinfront,withinhalfayardofmyestrade,andwereamongthemostwomanly-lookingpresent.TheirnamesIknewafterwards,andmayaswellmentionnowtheywereEulalie,Hortense,Caroline.Eulaliewastall,andveryfinelyshaped:shewasfair,andherfeatureswerethoseofaLowCountryMadonnamanya“figuredeVierge”haveIseeninDutchpicturesexactlyresemblingherstherewerenoanglesinhershapeorinherface,allwascurveandroundness—neitherthought,sentiment,norpassiondisturbedbylineorflushtheequalityofherpale,clearskinhernoblebustheavedwithherregularbreathing,hereyesmovedalittle—bytheseevidencesoflifealonecouldIhavedistinguishedherfromsomelargehandsomefiguremouldedinwax.Hortensewasofmiddlesizeandstout,herformwasungraceful,herfacestriking,morealiveandbrilliantthanEulalie’s,herhairwasdarkbrown,hercomplexionrichlycolouredtherewerefrolicandmischiefinhereye:consistencyandgoodsenseshemightpossess,butnoneofherfeaturesbetokenedthosequalities.
Carolinewaslittle,thoughevidentlyfullgrownraven-blackhair,verydarkeyes,absolutelyregularfeatures,withacolourlessolivecomplexion,clearastothefaceandsallowabouttheneck,formedinherthatassemblageofpointswhoseunionmanypersonsregardastheperfectionofbeauty.How,withthetintlesspallorofherskinandtheclassicstraightnessofherlineaments,shemanagedtolooksensual,Idon’tknow.Ithinkherlipsandeyescontrivedtheaffairbetweenthem,andtheresultleftnouncertaintyonthebeholder’smind.Shewassensualnow,andintenyears’timeshewouldbecoarse—promiseplainwaswritteninherfaceofmuchfuturefolly.
IfIlookedatthesegirlswithlittlescruple,theylookedatmewithstillless.Eulalieraisedherunmovedeyetomine,andseemedtoexpect,passivelybutsecurely,animpromptutributetohermajesticcharms.Hortenseregardedmeboldly,andgiggledatthesametime,whileshesaid,withanairofimpudentfreedom—
“Dictez-nousquelquechosedefacilepourcommencer,monsi