d closed lips indicating an aperture. The contraction of
his mouth expressed an intelligence in the attitude of the firmly
negative.

The lips opened to smile, the teeth were faultless; an effect was
produced, if a cold one--the colder for the unparticipating northern
eyes; eyes of that half cloud and blue, which make a kind of hueless
grey, and are chiefly striking in an authoritative stage. Without
contradicting, for he was exactly polite, his look signified a person
conscious of being born to command: in fine, an aristocrat among the
'aristocracy of Europeans.' His differences of opinion were prefaced by a
'Pardon me,' and pausing smile of the teeth; then a succinctly worded
sentence or two, a perfect settlement of the dispute. He disliked
argumentation. He said so, and Diana remarked it of him, speaking as, a
wife who merely noted a characteristic. Inside his boundary, he had neat
phrases, opinions in packets. Beyond it, apparently the world was void of
any particular interest. Sir Lukin, whose boundary would have shown a
narrower limitation had it been defined, stood no chance with him. Tory
versus Whig, he tried a wrestle, and was thrown. They agreed on the topic
of Wine. Mr. Warwick had a fine taste in wine. Their after-dinner
sittings were devoted to this and the alliterative cognate theme, equally
dear to the gallant ex-dragoon, from which it resulted that Lady Dunstane
received satisfactory information in a man's judgement of him. 'Warwick
is a clever fellow, and a thorough man of the world, I can tell you,
Emmy.' Sir Lukin further observed that he was a gentlemanly fellow. 'A
gentlemanly official!' Diana's primary dash of portraiture stuck to him,
so true it was! As for her, she seemed to have forgotten it. Not only did
she strive to show him to advantage by leading him out; she played second
to him; subserviently, fondly; she quite submerged herself, content to be
dull if he might shine; and her talk of her husband in her friend's
blue-chamber boudoir of the golden stars, where they had discussed the
world and taken counsel in her maiden days, implied admiration of his
merits. He rode superbly: he knew Law: he was prepared for any position:
he could speak really eloquently; she had heard him at a local meeting.
And he loved the old Crossways almost as much as she did. 'He has
promised me he will never ask me to sell it,' she said, with a simpleness
that could hardly have been acted.

When she was gone, Lady