“Two of them were dark and the other was fair,” continued the lad, revelling in his description. “Oh, those two dark girls! You never saw such eyes, such hair, such lovely complexions. Juno-like—that they were. I was quite struck.”
“Foolish?”
“No, no; the Lelys in one of the rooms are nothing to them.”
“Lilies?”
“Nonsense—Lelys: the pictures, Court beauties. I could only stand and gaze at them.”
“Young buck—at gaze,” said the other, smiling at the boy’s enthusiasm. “What was the fair one like?”
“Oh, sweet and Madonnaesque—pensive and gentle. Look here, Marcus, you and I will have a walk round there presently.”
“Not if my name’s Marcus,” said the other, laughing. “Go along, you silly young butterfly, scenting honey in every flower. I say, Dick, shall you go in full review order?”
“I wish you weren’t so fond of chaffing a fellow.”
“Did the maidens—old, or young, or doubtful—at the window see our handsome young Adonis with his clustering curls?”