To properly understand her complexion you were expected to provide
yourself with a collection of assorted fruits and flowers. There are
seasons in the year when it must have been difficult for the
conscientious reader to have made sure of her complexion. Possibly
it was for this purpose that wax flowers and fruit, carefully kept
from the dust under glass cases, were common objects in former times
upon the tables of the cultured.

Nowadays we content ourselves--and our readers also, I am inclined to
think--with dashing her off in a few bold strokes. We say that
whenever she entered a room there came to one dreams of an old world
garden, the sound of far-off bells. Or that her presence brought
with it the scent of hollyhocks and thyme. As a matter of fact I
don't think hollyhocks do smell. It is a small point; about such we
do not trouble ourselves. In the case of the homely type of girl I
don't see why we should not borrow Mr. Pickwick's expression, and
define her by saying that in some subtle way she always contrived to
suggest an odour of chops and tomato sauce.

If we desire to be exact we mention, as this particular author seems
to have done, that she had an "elusive expression," or a penetrating
fragrance. Or we say that she moved, the centre of an indefinable
nuance.

But it is not policy to bind oneself too closely to detail. A wise
friend of mine, who knows his business, describes his hero invariably
in the vaguest terms. He will not even tell you whether the man is
tall or short, clean shaven or bearded.