The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 286: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

CHAPTER XXIV THE PRECEPTOR AND HIS PUPIL THe name of William Deveril has been occasionally mentioned in our pages, and we must now introduce him more particularly to the reader. He was quite a young man, but it was not very easy to fix his exact age to a year or two, because his complexion being rendered somewhat dark by a long residence in a southern clime, together with a certain thoughtfulness of look, possibly made him appear a trifle older than he really was. Thus he might have been a little under twenty or a little above twenty, for with no nicer precision could his age be fixed. He had dark hair, worn somewhat long, and curling naturally, whiskers which though small increased the manliness of his otherwise youthful appearance, and fine black eyes, beaming with intelligence when not bent down in the mind’s abstraction of thought. He was tall and slender, not merely symmetrically formed, but modelled with an Apollo-like grace and elegance. His features were of the Grecian cast, his upper lip short, with that aristocratic curl which may express disdain where there is false pride, but which is equally indicative of a calm and manly dignity where there is no overweening hauteur. His teeth were remarkable for their whiteness and evenness, and there was something peculiarly sweet, though by no means effeminate, in his smile. It denoted a kind disposition and a generous heart, which indications of character were amply corrob- orated by the high and noble forehead that seemed formed to be crowned with nature’s own peerless diadem of intelli- gence. William Deveril was accustomed to dress in a style which became a perfect gentleman, but without the least preten- 269 COnnICEcOOOkKS (S(O)