The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 303: what you’re looking at

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

272 REYNOLDS’ WORKS her nose being perfectly straight, the forehead not too high to be dissimilar from the style of beauty defined by the Grecian statues, while her brows were superbly arched and well divided, thus giving an open frankness to the whole countenance. Her eyes were large and of a deep blue, full of a soft lustre, which seldom indeed concentrated itself in the lightning-flash of strong passion, but shining with that serene steadiness and evenness which seemed to indicate the goodness and gentleness and benevolence of her disposition. About the mouth there was a singular beauty, not merely in its chiseling but also in its expression. Its formation was purely classical in respect to the upper lip, which was arched like Cupid’s bow; the under lip was fuller and richer, but without conveying the slightest impression of sensuousness on the part of Anastatia. Her hair was of a rich brown, and of such luxuriance was it, with so superb a gloss, too, resting upon the surface, that it was no wonder if she generally wore it without any ornaments either of gems or flowers, but as if conscious that it became her best in the unadorned wealth of its own natural loveliness. In heavy tresses and in mas- sive clusters did it float upon her shoulders, and form as it were a background for a neck of dazzling whiteness, for Anastatia’s complexion was sweetly pure and transparent. She was tall and well-formed, the contours of the Hebe com- bining with the slender graces of the sylph to constitute the perfection of her shape. In her toilet she was simple and modest, never seeking by means of low-bodied dresses for a meretricious display of her charms, nor caring much to avail herself of the sumptuous presents of gems and jewelry made by her husband for the embellishment of her person. Such was Anastatia Latham, and we must now say a few words in respect to her husband. Sir Frederick was a tall man, somewhat inclined to stoutness, without being actually corpulent; he was perfectly upright, and carried himself with a certain stiffness, which, together with his general ap- pearance, impressed every one with the sense of cold formal- ity on his part. Handsome he certainly was not, but he was equally far from being ill-favoured. His features were large; his forehead, exceedingly high and massive, gradually rounded off into the crown of the head, all the front of which was bald. Thus his iron-gray hair being worn away from that part, gave him a certain dignity of appearance, which CORMICLIOOKS (E(0)