Then he unrolled his music, and placed two copies of Le Vallon ready to his hand upon the table.

Having made these arrangements with a self-possession that quite disconcerted the clergyman, he turned to examine the rest of the company.
His first glance was arrested by the beauty of a young lady with light brown hair and gentle grey eyes, who sat near the fire.

Beside her, on a lower chair, was a small, lean, and very restless young woman with keen dark eyes staring defiantly from a worn face.

These two were attended by a jovial young gentleman with curly auburn hair, who was twanging a banjo, and occasionally provoking an exclamation of annoyance from the restless girl by requesting her opinion of his progress in tuning the instrument.

Near them stood a tall man, dark and handsome.