nsieur.”
“IsMdlle.Reuterofthenumber?Come,speakfrankly,monfilselleestencorejeune,plusageequetoipeut-etre,maisjusteasseypourunirlatendressed’unepetitemamanal’amourd’uneepousedevoueen’est-cepasquecelat’iraitsuperieurement?”
“No,monsieurIshouldlikemywifetobemywife,andnothalfmymother.”
“Sheisthenalittletoooldforyou?”
“No,monsieur,notadaytoooldifshesuitedmeinotherthings.”
“Inwhatdoesshenotsuityou,William?Sheispersonallyagreeable,isshenot?”
“VeryherhairandcomplexionarejustwhatIadmireandherturnofform,thoughquiteBelgian,isfullofgrace.”
“Bravo!andherface?herfeatures?Howdoyoulikethem?”
“Alittleharsh,especiallyhermouth.”
“Ah,yes!hermouth,”saidM.Pelet,andhechuckledinwardly.“Thereischaracterabouthermouth—firmness—butshehasaverypleasantsmiledon’tyouthinkso?”
“Rathercrafty.”
“True,butthatexpressionofcraftisowingtohereyebrowshaveyouremarkedhereyebrows?”
IansweredthatIhadnot.
“Youhavenotseenherlookingdownthen?”saidhe.
“No.”
“Itisatreat,notwithstanding.Observeherwhenshehassomeknitting,orsomeotherwoman’sworkinhand,andsitstheimageofpeace,calmlyintentonherneedlesandhersilk,somediscussionmeantimegoingonaroundher,inthecourseofwhichpeculiaritiesofcharacterarebeingdeveloped,orimportantinterestscanvassedshetakesnopartinitherhumble,femininemindiswhollywithherknittingnoneofherfeaturesmovesheneitherpresumestosmileapproval,norfrowndisapprobationherlittlehandsassiduouslyplytheirunpretendingtaskifshecanonlygetthispursefinished,orthisbonnet-greccompleted,itisenoughforher.Ifgentlemenapproachherchair,adeeperquiescence,ameekermodestysettlesonherfeatures,andclotheshergeneralmienobservethenhereyebrows,etdites-mois’iln’yapasduchatdansl’unetdurenarddansl’autre.”
“Iwilltakecarefulnoticethefirstopportunity,”saidI.
“Andthen,”continuedM.Pelet,“theeyelidwil