stately, and her face had such a frowning, haughty expression. Beautiful
women-faces had always had a kind of fascination for her--the gentle,
refined face, on which she would gaze with a secret intense pleasure, and
a longing to hear some loving word addressed to herself from a sister
with sweet lips, so strong that it was like a sharp pain at her heart.
The proud masterful expression of this beautiful face affected her
differently--she feared as well as admired.

The lady was fashionably dressed, and wore a long dark blue velvet
jacket, deeply trimmed with brown fur, and under the shadow of a rather
broad fur hat her hair looked very black and glossy; her straight
eyebrows were also black, and her eyes very dark, full and penetrating.
Her skin was of that beautiful rich red colour not often seen in London
ladies, and more common in Ireland than in England. Her features were
fine, the nose slightly aquiline, the red lips less full, and the mouth
smaller than is usual in faces of so luxuriant a type; a shapely,
beautiful mouth, which would have been very sweet but for its trick of
looking scornful.

"What do you want?" she said in a sharp imperative tone--just the tone
one would have expected from so imperious-looking a dame.

"Please, do you want the steps cleaned?" Fan asked very timidly.

"No, of course not. What an absurd little goose you must be to ask such a
thing! Servants are kept for such a purpose."

For a few moments Fan still remained standing there, her eyes cast down,
then shyly glanced up at that richly-coloured beautiful face, and
encountered the dark strong eyes intently watching her.