This fusion of race was notable to the most ordinary physiognomist in the physique and in the morale of Mrs.Leslie.She had the speculative blue eye of the Saxon, and the passionate high nose of the Norman; she had the musing do-nothingness of the Daudlers, and the reckless have-at-every-thingness of the Montfydgets.

At Mrs.Leslie's feet, a little girl with her hair about her ears (and beautiful hair it was too) was amusing herself with a broken-nosed doll.

At the far end of the room, before a high desk, sat Frank's Eton schoolfellow, the eldest son.

A minute or two before Frank's alarum had disturbed the tranquillity of the household, he had raised his eyes from the books on the desk to glance at a very tattered copy of the Greek Testament, in which his brother Oliver had found a difficulty that he came to Randal to solve.

As the young Etonian's face was turned to the light, your first impression on seeing it would have been melancholy, but respectful, interest,--for the face had already lost the joyous character of youth; there was a wrinkle between the brows; and the lines that speak of fatigue were already visible under the eyes and about the mouth; the complexion was sallow, the lips were pale.