As Deerslayer's examination was by this time ended, he dropped the
butt of his rifle, and, leaning on the barrel with both hands, he
turned towards the girl with an interest the singular beauty of
her sister had not awakened. He had gathered from Hurry's remarks
that Hetty was considered to have less intellect than ordinarily
falls to the share of human beings, and his education among Indians
had taught him to treat those who were thus afflicted by Providence
with more than common tenderness. Nor was there any thing in Hetty
Hutter's appearance, as so often happens, to weaken the interest
her situation excited. An idiot she could not properly be termed,
her mind being just enough enfeebled to lose most of those traits
that are connected with the more artful qualities, and to retain
its ingenuousness and love of truth. It had often been remarked of
this girl, by the few who had seen her, and who possessed sufficient
knowledge to discriminate, that her perception of the right seemed
almost intuitive, while her aversion to the wrong formed so distinctive
a feature of her mind, as to surround her with an atmosphere of
pure morality; peculiarities that are not infrequent with persons
who are termed feeble-minded; as if God had forbidden the evil spirits
to invade a precinct so defenceless, with the benign purpose of
extending a direct protection to those who had been left without the
usual aids of humanity. Her person, too, was agreeable, having a
strong resemblance to that of her sister's, of which it was a subdued
and humble copy. If it had none of the brilliancy of Judith's, the
calm, quiet, almost holy expression of her meek countenance seldom
failed to win on the observer, and few noted it long that did not
begin to feel a deep and lasting interest in the girl. She had no
colour, in common, nor was her simple mind apt to present images
that caused her cheek to brighten, though she retained a modesty
so innate that it almost raised her to the unsuspecting purity of