The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 62: what you’re looking at

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

THE MINISTER’S WIFE 45 out of sight, she proceeded to the private entrance of the dwelling. Mentioning the name of the minister’s wife, she was at once conducted up a handsome staircase, into a large and elegantly furnished apartment, where the domestic, perceiving she could not speak the Spanish tongue, politely motioned her to be seated. She waited in that room for nearly half an hour, at the expiration of which interval, the door opened and a lady made her appearance. The minister’s wife was a remarkably fine woman, of about Kate’s own age,— namely, between four and five and twenty. She was tall, well made, and of similar pro- portions to those of Miss Marshall. Indeed, her contours were precisely of that same Hebe-richness adjusted to the most admirable symmetry, which characterized the English- woman. To be more particular still, a dress that was made for the one would have exactly fitted the other. But if in the height of stature and in the modelled forms of shape there existed this similitude between the minister’s wife and Miss Marshall, the personal resemblance went no farther, — the former being of Spanish duskiness of complexion, with raven hair and large dark eyes. Unlike the Spanish women generally, however, this lady wore her hair in a profusion of ringlets and tresses, which admirably became the per- . fectly oval shape of her countenance. She was handsome, with regular features, bright red lips, and a superb set of teeth, while the rich carnation blood appeared on the cheeks beneath the diaphanous olive tint of the skin. Altogether she was a lady whose beauty might be termed brilliant; and she was as commanding and gracefully majestic as her husband in stature and appearance was insignificant and sinister-looking. ‘There was, however, upon her coun- tenance a certain air of pensive melancholy, which seemed to denote that she was not altogether happy in her mind, and notwithstanding the affability of her manner, this spirit of thoughtfulness — almost amounting to mournfulness — displayed itself in a certain degree of languor. Kate was immediately prepossessed in her favour, for she felt con- vinced that the wife was very different from the husband. ‘Pardon this intrusion, madam,” she said, thus ad- dressing in her native English the Spanish lady, ‘‘ but I have been emboldened to wait upon you in order to present a letter from the Marchioness of Villebelle.”’ CONnNIEDOOKS (S(O)