Bressant

It's owner now became visible. She was a delicate-looking girl, with a

pale, conch-shell complexion, brown hair as fine as silk, and pleasant,

serene, gray eyes. She was dressed very simply in white, with a blue

band across her hair, and a blue scarf and sash around throat and waist.

Her face, though showing signs of quiet strength, and of a

self-confidence which was the flower of maidenly modesty and innocence,

was not beautiful according to any recognized standard. Bressant, from

his intuitive perception of form and proportion, was aware of this. The

forehead was too high, the nose irregular, the mouth lacked the perfect

curve, and the teeth, though white and even, were not small enough for

beauty.

Nevertheless, Bressant was at once impressed with the young girl's

presence. It was as if an ethereal cloud--such as that which, shone

through by white sunlight, was just floating past the window--had eddied

unexpectedly into his chamber, cooling and quieting him with the

freshness of its heavenly vapor. Her eyes met his with a simple

directness which made his glance waver, though he was not given to

humility. Something, whereof neither science nor philosophy can take

cognizance, seemed to emanate from her, elevating while it humbled him.

"If I'd known who you were, I--I shouldn't have asked you to shut the

door!" said he, in an apologetic tone quite new to him.

"And how do you know who I am?" inquired the vision, with a refreshing

smile.

"I meant, what sort of a person you were; but you must be Miss Sophie:

only I thought she was ill."

"I am Miss Sophie, but I'm not to be thought ill any more. One invalid

in the house is enough. I'm going to nurse you, and, since I'm well, you

may be twice as ill as ever, if you choose."

"Well!" said Bressant, quite resignedly. He was becoming a very

respectable patient.

"In what way do you want to be taken care of?" resumed the nurse with a

cheerful, business-like gravity which was at once becoming and piquant.

"Stay here and talk; I like to hear your voice: and you look so cool and

pleasant."

Very few people could oppose this young man in any thing; he knew so

well what he wanted, and demanded it so uncompromisingly. But Sophie's

sense of fitness and propriety was as sound and impenetrable as adamant,

and scarcely to be affected by any human will or consideration. She felt

there was something not quite right in his manner and in the nature of

his demand; and, being in the habit of making people conform to her

ideas, rather than the reverse, she at once determined to correct him.

"If there's any thing you wish me to read to you, I'll do it. I didn't

come to sit down and talk to you; but, if you like my voice, you can

have more pleasure from it in that way."