"One less prepossessing is rarely met," returned Mrs. Hudson, still looking intently into the lady's face.
"But she has wealth, and is well connected, as the phrase is. These, no doubt, cover a multitude of defects."
"They do not seem to have covered them in this case," said Mrs. Hudson, with a quiet smile, as she drew her arm closer within that of her husband. "At least they are very apparent this evening."
"She has her good points, no doubt," remarked the doctor. "All persons have. We may not always determine the whole character from the face. Very good people sometimes have very homely countenances."
"Yes; that is true," said Mrs. Hudson. "But no woman whose heart was unselfish—no woman with a gentle, loving spirit—ever had a face like that."
It took an hour at least for the different individuals of the company to get familiar with the various parties present, and to know what strangers and what acquaintances were there. Ere this, Dunbar had noticed, with some surprise and without any particular increase of pleasure, that Doctor Hudson and his wife and sister were among the guests. He had never heard of the marriage of Ella with Doctor Baldwin, whose social standing he well knew.
"What young lady is that?" he asked of a friend, affecting not to know who Ella was.
"The charming woman on Doctor Baldwin's arm?"
"I mean the lady on the doctor's arm."
"That's his wife."