For the sailor may, surely, be here and there permitted a turn and a flourish, justly denied to the safe entrenched landsman.
If outward aspects were thus calculated to engage her approval and agreeably fill in her projected picture, that which glimmered through them--divined by her rather than stated, all being necessarily more an affair of intuition than of knowledge--gave her pleasure of richer quality.

High-tempered she unquestionably read him, arrogant and on occasion not inconceivably remorseless; but neither mean nor ungenerous, his energy unwasted, his mind untainted by self-indulgence.

If he were capable of cruelty to others, he was at least equally capable of turning the knife on himself, cutting off or plucking out an offending member.
This appealed to the heroic in her.

While over her vision, as she thus considered him, hung the glamour of youth which, to youth, displays such royal enchantments--untrodden fields of hope and promise inviting the tread of eager feet, the rush of glorious goings forward towards conquests, towards wonders, well assured, yet to be.

The personality of this man clearly admitted no denial, as little bragged as it apologized, since his candour matched his force of will.
Taking stock of him thus, from the corner of the sofa, imagination, intelligence, affections alike actively in play, Damaris' colour rose, her pulse quickened, and her great eyes grew wide, finely and softly gay.
Faircloth moved.