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The Black Baronet; or, The Chronicles Of Ballytrain - The Works of William Carleton, Volume One by William Carleton
page 142 of 930 (15%)
were completely thrown aside, and the transition which ensued was indeed
extraordinary. His general deportment became at once that of a perfect
gentleman, easy, elegant, if not absolutely aristocratic; but without
the slightest evidence of anything that could be considered supercilious
or offensive. His dress was tastefully within the fashion, but not
in its extreme, and his admirable figure thus displayed to the best
advantage; whilst his whole person was utterly free from every symptom
of affectation or foppery. Nor was the change in the tone of his
features less striking. Their style of beauty was at once manly and
intellectual, combining, as they did, an expression of great sweetness,
obvious good sense, and remarkable determination. He bore, in fact, the
aspect of a man who could play with a child on the green, or beard a
lion in his lair.

The sagacity of the Irish people, in the estimate they form of personal
appearance and character, is, indeed, very extraordinary. Our friend,
the stranger, when casting his eye over the town of Ballytrain, on his
way to have an interview with Birney, who, we may as well observe, was
in his confidence, perceived that it was market-day. As he went out
upon the street, a crowd of persons were standing opposite the inn door,
where an extensive yarn market, in these good old times, was always
held; and we need scarcely say that his gentlemanly and noble figure,
and the striking elegance of his manner, at once attracted their
attention.

"Well," said one of them, "there goes a real gintleman, begad, at any
rate."

"Divil a lie in that," added another; "there's no mistakin' the true
blood."
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