noticed even then an upward curling of the mouth corners and a kind of
magic in the liquid blue gaze, of which Paul might never be conscious,
but which would work on every beholder.

That a child should be the appendage of such a very young creature as
the girl, surprised me no more than if it had been a fawn or a dog. In
the vivid moments of my first rousing to life I had seen her with Paul
in her arms; and he remained part of her.

We heard a rush of horses up the avenue, and out of the woods came Le
Ray de Chaumont and his groom, the wealthy land owner equipped in
gentleman's riding dress from his spurs to his hat. He made a fine show,
whip hand on his hip and back erect as a pine tree. He was a man in
middle life, but he reined up and dismounted with the swift agility of
a youth, and sent his horse away with the groom, as soon as he saw the
girl run across the grass to meet him. Taking her hand he bowed over it
and kissed it with pleasing ceremony, of which I approved. An Iroquois
chief in full council had not better manners than Le Ray de Chaumont.

Paul and I waited to see what was going to happen, for the two came
toward us, the girl talking rapidly to the man. I saw my father and
Skenedonk and the doctor also coming from the house, and they readily
spied me sitting tame as a rabbit near the baby.

You never can perceive yourself what figure you are making in the world:
for when you think you are the admired of all eyes you may be displaying
a fool; and when life seems prostrated in you it may be that you show as
a monument on the heights. But I could not be mistaken in De Chaumont's
opinion of me. He pointed his whip handle at me, exclaiming--