“But what manner of man shouldst thou fancy, Heliet?”
“Oh ay, do tell us!” cried more than one voice.
“I warrant he’ll be a priest,” said Elaine.
“He will have fair hair and soft manners,” remarked Olympias.
“Nay, he shall have such hair as shall please God,” said Heliet, more gravely. “But he must be gentle and loving, above all to the weak and sorrowful: a true knight, to whom every woman is a holy thing, to be guarded and tended with care. He must put full affiance in God, and love Him supremely: and next, me; and below that, all other. He must not fear danger, yet without fool-hardiness; but he must fear disgrace, and fear and hate sin. He must be true to himself, and must aim at making of himself the best man that ever he can. He must not be afraid of ridicule, or of being thought odd. He must have firm convictions, and be ready to draw sword for them, without looking to see whether other men be on the same side or not. His heart must be open to all misery, his brain to all true and innocent knowledge, his hand ready to redress every wrong not done to himself. For his enemies he must have forgiveness; for his friends, unswerving constancy: for all men, courtesy.”
“And that is thy model man? Ha, jolife!” cried Elaine. “Why, I could not stand a month of him.”
“I am afraid he would be rather soft and flat,” said Diana, with a curl of her lip.
“No, I don’t think that,” answered Roisia. “But I should like to know where Heliet expects to find him.”
“Do give his address, Heliet!” said Elaine, laughing.
“Ah! I never knew but one that answered to that description,” was Heliet’s reply.