"Mr. Thorn has done it, Mrs. Evelyn, for me."
"But I have great doubts of the correctness of Mr. Thorn's description, Sir; wont you indulge us with yours?"
"Word-painting is a difficult matter, Mrs. Evelyn, in some instances; if I must do it, I will borrow my colours. In general, 'that which made her fairness much the fairer was, that it was but an ambassador of a most fair mind.' "
"A most exquisite picture!" said Thorn; "and the originals don't stand so thick that one is in any danger of mistaking them. Is the painter Shakespeare? I don't recollect."
"I think Sidney, Sir; I am not sure."
"But still, Mr. Carleton," said Mrs. Evelyn, "this is only in general I want very much to know the particulars; what style of features belonged to this face?"
"The fairest, I think, I have ever known," said Mr. Carleton. "You asked me, Miss Evelyn, what was my notion of beauty; this face was a good illustration of it. Not perfection of outline, though it had that, too, in very uncommon degree; but the loveliness of mind and character to which these features were only an index; the thoughts were invariably telegraphed through eye and mouth more faithfully than words could give them."
"What kind of eyes?" said Florence.
His own grew dark as he answered
"Clear and pure as one might imagine an angel's through which I am sure my good angel many a time looked at me."