Page:The Portrait of a Lady (1882).djvu/12

4 4 THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY. from a long ride ; he wore a vhite hat, which looked too large for him; he held his two hands behind him, and in one of them a large, white, well-shaped fist was crumpled a pair of soiled dog-skin gloves. His companion, measuring the length of the lawn beside him, was a person of quite another pattern, who, although he might have excited grave curiosity, would not, like the other, have provoked you to wish yourself, almost blindly, in his place. Tall, lean, loosely and feebly put together, he had an ugly, sickly, witty, charming face furnished, but by no means decorated, with a straggling moustache and whisker. He looked clever and ill a combination by no means felicitous ; and he wore a brown velvet jacket. He carried his hands in his pockets, and there was something in the way he did it that showed the habit was inveterate. His gait had a shambling, wandering quality ; he was not very firm on his legs. As I have said, whenever he passed the old man in the chair, he rested his eyes upon him ; and at this moment, with their faces brought into relation, you would easily have seen that they were father and son. The father caught his son's eye at last, and gave him a mild, responsive smile. " I am getting on very well," he said. " Have you drunk your tea 1 " asked the son. " Yes, and enjoyed it." " Shall I give you some more 1 " The old man considered, placidly. " Well, I guess I will wait and see." He had, in speaking, the American tone. " Are you cold 1 " his son inquired. The father slowly rubbed his legs. " Well, I don't know. I can't tell till I feel." " Perhaps some one might feel for you," said the younger man, laughing. " Oh, I hope sojne one will always feel for me ! Don't you feel for me, Lord Warburton 1 " " Oh yes, immensely," said the gentleman addressed as Lord Warburton, promptly. " I am bound to say you look wonder- fully comfortable." "Well, I suppose I am, in most respects." And the old man looked down at his green shawl, and smoothed it over his knees. " The fact is, I have been comfortable so many years that I suppose I have got so used to it I don't know it."