Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II. A MEETING. She was dancing a minuet, and the slow measured steps showed to perfection the graceful lines of her tall figure, and its wen- developed symmetry. Now resting her weight on one shapely foot, her well-set head turned over her shoulder towards her partner as she prepared to leave his side?her round white arm curved to wave him a farewell, the pose of her lovely figure was so perfect that a buzz of admiration circled the room. Her partner, a tall, well-built man, with;a strikingly handsome face, performed his part skilfully, and it was remarked among the bystanders that the pair completely realised the meaning of the figure they had just executed, and that they seemed very loath to part. His eyes were riveted on his partner’s beautiful face, framed by long golden curls, and guiltless of paint?for as the couple met again after this temporary separation, the delicate colour on the fair girl’s cheeks was seen to deepen, and her blue eyes darkened with pleasure.
She is beautiful?vastly beautiful?no other word can fitly praise her?eh ! why do you look so glum, Wilder ? This was said with some impatience by the most fashionable among the men in a group near the ball-room door, to the gentleman who stood nearest to him, Sir Henry Wilder. Sir Henry did not look fashionable. He had rather the air of a student. He was dark and thin, with an intense expression of sadness in his dark eyes.
I never gainsaid it, Knollys, he answered;
she is beautiful, graceful too, and every other charming name you can find to give to her outside perfections, but that is all?she has nothing within. There it ends?she is cold-hearted as a stone. Sir Henry Wilder turned sharply away, as if the subject vexed him. Sir Charles Knollys laughed heartily?he had a…