The whole attitude
and appearance of the wretched girl, independently of
the fact of her noiseless entrance, tended to favour the
delusion. Her features, of an ashy paleness, seemed fixed,
even as those of the corpse beneath him; and, but for
the tears that coursed silently down her cheek, there
was scarcely an outward evidence of emotion. Her dress
was a simple white robe, fastened round her waist with
a pale blue riband; and over her shoulders hung her
redundant hair, resembling in colour, and disposed much
in the manner of that of her brother, which had been
drawn negligently down to conceal the wound on his brow.
For some moments the baronet gazed at her in speechless
agony. Her tranquil exterior was torture to him; for he,
feared it betokened some alienation of reason. He would
have preferred to witness the most hysteric convulsion
of grief, rather than that traitorous calm; and yet he
had not the power to seek to remove it.
"You are surprised to see me here, mingling my grief with
yours, Sir Everard," she at length observed, with the
same calm mien, and in tones of touching sweetness.
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