First, there was Mrs. Eshton and two of her daughters. She had

evidently been a handsome woman, and was well preserved still. Of

her daughters, the eldest, Amy, was rather little: naive, and

child-like in face and manner, and piquant in form; her white muslin

dress and blue sash became her well. The second, Louisa, was taller

and more elegant in figure; with a very pretty face, of that order

the French term minois chiffone: both sisters were fair as lilies.

Lady Lynn was a large and stout personage of about forty, very

erect, very haughty-looking, richly dressed in a satin robe of

changeful sheen: her dark hair shone glossily under the shade of an

azure plume, and within the circlet of a band of gems.

Mrs. Colonel Dent was less showy; but, I thought, more lady-like.

She had a slight figure, a pale, gentle face, and fair hair. Her

black satin dress, her scarf of rich foreign lace, and her pearl

ornaments, pleased me better than the rainbow radiance of the titled

dame.

But the three most distinguished--partly, perhaps, because the

tallest figures of the band--were the Dowager Lady Ingram and her

daughters, Blanche and Mary. They were all three of the loftiest

stature of women. The Dowager might be between forty and fifty:

her shape was still fine; her hair (by candle-light at least) still

black; her teeth, too, were still apparently perfect. Most people

would have termed her a splendid woman of her age: and so she was,

no doubt, physically speaking; but then there was an expression of

almost insupportable haughtiness in her bearing and countenance.

She had Roman features and a double chin, disappearing into a throat

like a pillar: these features appeared to me not only inflated and

darkened, but even furrowed with pride; and the chin was sustained

by the same principle, in a position of almost preternatural

erectness. She had, likewise, a fierce and a hard eye: it reminded

me of Mrs. Reed's; she mouthed her words in speaking; her voice was

deep, its inflections very pompous, very dogmatical,--very

intolerable, in short. A crimson velvet robe, and a shawl turban of

some gold-wrought Indian fabric, invested her (I suppose she

thought) with a truly imperial dignity.

Blanche and Mary were of equal stature,--straight and tall as

poplars. Mary was too slim for her height, but Blanche was moulded

like a Dian. I regarded her, of course, with special interest.

First, I wished to see whether her appearance accorded with Mrs.

Fairfax's description; secondly, whether it at all resembled the

fancy miniature I had painted of her; and thirdly--it will out!--

whether it were such as I should fancy likely to suit Mr.

Rochester's taste.




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