block of the street, were dead still, showing the instinctive good
manners of the people. Then mademoiselle astonished them with a
Provencal or Cevennes air, Huguenot, though she was Catholic; but it
suited her mezzo-soprano tones; and it rang massively of the martial-
religious. To what heights of spiritual grandeur might not a Huguenot
France have marched! Dudley Sowerby, heedlessly, under an emotion that
could be stirred in him with force, by the soul of religion issuing
through music, addressed his ejaculation to Lady Grace Halley. She did
nor shrug or snub him, but rejoined: 'I could go to battle with that song
in the ears.' She liked seeing him so happily transformed; and liked the
effect of it on Nesta when his face shone in talking. He was at home
with the girl's eyes, as he had never been. A song expressing in one of
the combative and devotional, went to the springs of his blood; for he
was of an old warrior race, beneath the thick crust of imposed peaceful
maxims and commercial pursuits and habitual stiff correctness. As much
as wine, will music bring out the native bent of the civilized man: endow
him with language too. He was as if unlocked; he met Nesta's eyes and
ran in a voluble interchange, that gave him flattering after-thoughts;
and at the moment sensibly a new and assured, or to some extent assured,
station beside a girl so vivid; by which the young lady would be helped
to perceive his unvoiced solider gifts.

Nataly observed them, thinking of Victor's mastering subtlety. She had
hoped (having clearly seen the sheep's eye in the shepherd) that Mr.
Barmby would be watchful to act as a block between them; and therefore
she had stipulated for his presence on the journey. She remembered
Victor's rapid look of readiness to consent:--he reckoned how naturally
Mr. Barmby would serve as a foil to any younger man. Mr. Barmby had
tried all along to perform his part: he had always been thwarted; notably
once at Gisors, where by some cunning management he and mademoiselle