Page:Jepson--Pollyooly.djvu/299

 observe that the young man had cheeks uncommonly like little yellow cushions, thick lips of a scarcely, agreeable purplish red, and little black eyes of the best boot-button type. His short-cropped black hair looked a more excellent clothes-brush than ever came out of a factory.

The Esmeralda acknowledged his profound and elaborate bow with the slightest inclination, and a faint look of dismay swept across her face. Pollyooly looked at him at length with fascinated, half-frightened eyes. The Honorable John Ruffin gave him half a glance, and went on talking.

But a cloud seemed to have fallen on the Esmeralda's gaiety; now and again a little frown puckered her brow, and, in spite of herself, her eyes would wander to the remarkable stranger. She seemed to withdraw their gaze from him with a jerk.

Presently the Honorable John Ruffin said: "The yellow gentleman from foreign parts who keeps staring at you as if he were quite fresh from his simple village, is worrying you. Shall I beg him to confine his sparkling glances to the waiters?"

"No, no!" said the Esmeralda quickly. "Leave him alone; he's a very dangerous man. He's Diego