CHAPTER X.

Sir Magnus Mountjoy.

It was the peculiarity of Florence Mountjoy that she did not expect other people to be as good as herself.  It was not that she erected for herself a high standard and had then told herself that she had no right to demand from others one so exalted.  She had erected nothing.  Nor did she know that she attempted to live by grand rules.  She had no idea that she was better than anybody else; but it came to her naturally as the result of what had gone before, to be unselfish, generous, trusting, and pure.  These may be regarded as feminine virtues, and may be said to be sometimes tarnished, by faults which are equally feminine.  Unselfishness may become want of character; generosity essentially unjust; confidence may be weak, and purity insipid.  Here it was that the strength of Florence Mountjoy asserted itself.  She knew well what was due to herself, though she would not claim it.  She could trust to another, but in silence be quite sure of herself.  Though pure herself, she was rarely shocked by the ways of others.  And she was as true as a man pretends to be.

In figure, form, and face she never demanded immediate homage by the sudden flash of her beauty.  But when her spell had once fallen on a man’s spirit it was not often that he could escape from it quickly.  When she spoke a peculiar melody struck the hearer’s ears.  Her voice was soft and low and sweet, and full at all times of harmonious words; but when she laughed it was like soft winds playing among countless silver bells.  There was something in her touch which to men was almost divine.  Of this she was all unconscious, but was as chary with her fingers as though it seemed that she could ill spare her divinity.

In height she was a little above the common, but it was by the grace of her movements that the world was compelled to observe her figure.  There are women whose grace is so remarkable as to demand the attention of all.  But then it is known of them, and momentarily seen, that their grace is peculiar.  They have studied their graces, and the result is there only too evident.  But Florence seemed to have studied nothing.  The beholder felt that she must have been as graceful when playing with her doll in the nursery.  And it was the same with her beauty.  There was no peculiarity of chiselled features.  Had you taken her face and measured it by certain rules, you would have found that her mouth was too large and her nose irregular.  Of her teeth she showed but little, and in her complexion there was none of that pellucid clearness in which men ordinarily delight.  But her eyes were more than ordinarily bright, and when she laughed there seemed to stream from them some heavenly delight.  When she did laugh it was as though some spring had been opened from which ran for the time a stream of sweetest intimacy.  For the time you would then fancy that you had been