That would no doubt be a pretty sight, but to others her young
matronly dignity was a prettier sight still, as she stood in her soft
dainty white, receiving her guests, the rosy colour a little
deepened, though she knew and loved them all, and Cecil by her side,
already having made a step out of his boyhood by force of adoration
and protection.
But their lot was fixed, and they could not be half so interesting to
Caroline as the far less beautiful young sister, who could only lay
claim to an honest, pleasant, fresh-coloured intelligent face, only
prevented by an air of high-breeding from being milkmaid-like. It
was one of those parties when the ingenuity of piercing a puzzle is
required to hinder more brothers and sisters from sitting together
than could be helped.
So fate or contrivance placed Sydney between the two Johns at the
dinner-table, and Mother Carey, on the other side, felt that some
indication must surely follow. Yet Sydney was apparently quite
unconscious, and she was like the description in "Rokeby:"—-
"Two lovers by the maiden sate
Without a glance of jealous hate;
The maid her lovers sat between
With open brow and equal mien;
It is a sight but rarely spied,
Thanks to man's wrath and woman's pride.
Pages:
781
782
783
784
785
786
787
788
789
790
791
792
793
794
795
796
797
798
799
800
801
802
803
804
805