Suddenly the hum died out, and Leicester, looking up, saw that Captain Murpoint's re-entrance was the cause.
If Captain Murpoint had looked gentlemanly in his traveling suit he certainly looked distinguished in the orthodox army dress.
Leicester Dodson's eyes, as they watched him take his place between Violet and her aunt, took in every detail of the well-proportioned figure from its breadth of shoulders to the long stretch of arm with its strength-denoting muscular development.
But when he came to regard the face he was startled.
He had, on the captain's first entrance thought him rather handsome, but now, seeing him sideface, he was surprised to find that there was a sinister look about some feature that had an unpleasant effect.
Suddenly the captain turned full face to address Violet, and the displeasing expression had gone.
Then he turned again, and Leicester understood it.
One side of Mr. Murpoint's face was better looking than the other.
On the right side, in a line with the ear, there was a scar—a small white scar—too small one would have thought to have marred the face, but mar it, it certainly did, for, whether the captain smiled or frowned, looked humorous or sad, that scar remained the same—inflexible, white, repulsive, giving the sinister cast to the right side of the face which had startled Leicester.