Mrs. Lecount rose, bent fondly over the
Aquarium, and chirruped to the toad at parting as if it had been a bird.
"Mr. Vanstone is ready to receive you. Follow me, if you please, Miss
Garth." With these words she opened the door, and led the way out of the
room.
CHAPTER III.
"MISS GARTH, sir," said Mrs. Lecount, opening the parlor door, and
announcing the visitor's appearance with the tone and manner of a
well-bred servant.
Magdalen found herself in a long, narrow room, consisting of a back
parlor and a front parlor, which had been thrown into one by opening the
folding-doors between them. Seated not far from the front window, with
his back to the light, she saw a frail, flaxen-haired, self-satisfied
little man, clothed in a fair white dressing-gown many sizes too large
for him, with a nosegay of violets drawn neatly through the button-hole
over his breast. He looked from thirty to five-and-thirty years old.
His complexion was as delicate as a young girl's, his eyes were of
the lightest blue, his upper lip was adorned by a weak little white
mustache, waxed and twisted at either end into a thin spiral curl. When
any object specially attracted his attention he half closed his eyelids
to look at it.
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