He looked about seventeen years
of age, and was handsome in a characteristic way.
His thin, long face looked like the work of some master sculptor; his
high forehead, overhanging brows, aquiline nose, broad flat chin, and
protruding cheek bones, gave singularly bold relief to his countenance.
Such a face would, with advancing age, become too bony, as fleshless as
that of a knight errant. But at this stage of youth, with chin and cheek
lightly covered with soft down, its latent harshness was attenuated by
the charming softness of certain contours which had remained vague and
childlike. His soft black eyes, still full of youth, also lent delicacy
to his otherwise vigorous countenance. The young fellow would probably
not have fascinated all women, as he was not what one calls a handsome
man; but his features, as a whole, expressed such ardent and sympathetic
life, such enthusiasm and energy, that they doubtless engaged the
thoughts of the girls of his own part--those sunburnt girls of the
South--as he passed their doors on sultry July evenings.
He remained seated upon the tombstone, wrapped in thought, and
apparently quite unconscious of the moonlight which now fell upon
his chest and legs. He was of middle stature, rather thick-set, with
over-developed arms and a labourer's hands, already hardened by toil;
his feet, shod with heavy laced boots, looked large and square-toed.
His general appearance, more particularly the heaviness of his limbs,
bespoke lowly origin.
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