Page:Romance & Reality 1.pdf/172

166 the distance. In the middle was an ottoman, on which lay an ebony lute, inlaid with pearl flowers, and a cast of the loveliest hand that ever wandered in music over its strings. Three pictures hung on the wall: the first was of a most radiant beauty, the hair gathered up under a kind of emerald glory, quite away from the face, whose perfect outline was thus fully given to view. The fine throat and neck were bare, but the satin bodice was laced with jewels, and a superb bracelet was on the arm, which was raised with a gesture of command, suiting well with the brilliant style of her triumphant beauty. In the second, the hair, unbound, fell loose in a profusion of black ringlets, almost concealing the simple white drapery of the figure: the expression was wholly changed—a sweet but tremulous smile parted the lips—and the downcast eyes wore the dreaming looks of passionate thoughts, which feed but on themselves. In the third, a large white veil passed over the head; the hair was simply parted on a brow whose paleness was ghastly—the features were thin to emaciation, the mouth wan and fallen; while the colour of the closed eyes was only indicated by the long black lashes which lay upon the white and sunken