CHAPTER IV.

asteIhateirregularandslovenlyhabits.FromwhatIsawIconcludedthatHunsden’sideasonthatpointcorrespondedwithmyown.Whileheremovedfromthecentre-tabletotheside-boardafewpamphletsandperiodicals,Iranmyeyealongtheshelvesofthebook-casenearestme.FrenchandGermanworkspredominated,theoldFrenchdramatists,sundrymodernauthors,Thiers,Villemain,PauldeKock,GeorgeSand,EugeneSueinGerman—Goethe,Schiller,Zschokke,JeanPaulRichterinEnglishtherewereworksonPoliticalEconomy.Iexaminednofurther,forMr.Hunsdenhimselfrecalledmyattention. “Youshallhavesomething,”saidhe,“foryououghttofeeldisposedforrefreshmentafterwalkingnobodyknowshowfaronsuchaCanadiannightasthisbutitshallnotbebrandy-and-water,anditshallnotbeabottleofport,nordittoofsherry.Ikeepnosuchpoison.IhaveRhein-weinformyowndrinking,andyoumaychoosebetweenthatandcoffee.” HereagainHunsdensuitedme:iftherewasonegenerallyreceivedpracticeIabhorredmorethananother,itwasthehabitualimbibingofspiritsandstrongwines.Ihad,however,nofancyforhisacidGermannectar,butIlikedcoffee,soIresponded— “Givemesomecoffee,Mr.Hunsden.” Iperceivedmyanswerpleasedhimhehaddoubtlessexpectedtoseeachillingeffectproducedbyhissteadyannouncementthathewouldgivemeneitherwinenorspiritshejustshotonesearchingglanceatmyfacetoascertainwhethermycordialitywasgenuineoramerefeintofpoliteness.Ismiled,becauseIquiteunderstoodhimand,whileIhonouredhisconscientiousfirmness,Iwasamusedathismistrustheseemedsatisfied,rangthebell,andorderedcoffee,whichwaspresentlybroughtforhimself,abunchofgrapesandhalfapintofsomethingsoursufficed.MycoffeewasexcellentItoldhimso,andexpressedtheshudderingpitywithwhichhisanchoritefareinspiredme.Hedidnotanswer,andIscarcelythinkheardmyremark.AtthatmomentoneofthosemomentaryeclipsesIbeforealludedtohadcomeoverhisface,extinguishinghissmile,andreplacing,byanabstractedandalienatedlook,thecustomarilyshrewd,banteringglanceofhiseye.Iemployedtheintervalofsilenceinarapidscrutinyofhisphysiognomy.Ihadneverobservedhimcloselybeforeand,asmysightisveryshort,Ihadgatheredonlyavague,generalideaofhisappearanceIwassurprisednow,onexamination,toperceivehowsmall,andevenfeminine,werehislineamentshistallfigure,longanddarklocks,hisvoiceandgeneralbearing,hadimpressedmewiththenotionofsomethingpowerfulandmassivenotatall:—myownfeatureswerecastinaharsherandsquarermouldthanhis.Idiscernedthattherewouldbecontrastsbetweenhisinwardandoutwardmancontentions,tooforIsuspectedhissoulhadmoreofwillandambitionthanhisbodyhadoffibreandmuscle.Perhaps,intheseincompatibilitiesofthe“physique”withthe“morale,”laythesecretofthatfitfulgloomheWOULDbutCOULDnot,andtheathleticmindscowledscornonitsmorefragilecompanion.Astohisgoodlooks,Ishouldhavelikedtohaveawoman’sopiniononthatsubjectitseemedtomethathisfacemightproducethesameeffectonaladythataverypiquantandinteresting,thoughscarcelypretty,femalefacewouldonaman.Ihavementionedhisdarklocks—theywerebrushedsidewaysaboveawhiteandsufficientlyexpansiveforeheadhischeekhadaratherhecticfreshnesshisfeaturesmighthavedonewelloncanvas,butindifferentlyinmarble:theywereplasticcharacterhadsetastampuponeachexpre