THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



human nature, men take some pleasure in creatine a feelinf]^ 

 of jealousy towards a rival, in their wives, merely because it 

 occasions the frequent mention of the name of the lady who 

 may, to a certain extent, have supplanted them in their affec- 

 tions. One thing, however, is quite beyond doubt : namely, that 

 men — young men especially — are perpetually given to introduce 

 subjects that may lead to the mention of, or allusion to, the 

 object of their attachment and love. And such was the case 

 with Frank Raby. It would be useless to disguise the fact, 

 that the personal charms of Mrs. Denham had made an impres- 

 sion on our hero ; and the words ' Mrs. Denham said this,' 

 and ' Mrs. Denham thought that,' were almost perpetually on 

 his tongue, at least, as often as opportunity occurred to him. 

 And what excuse can be made for his indulging himself in the 

 anticipation of feasting on forbidden fruit? None, save the 

 almost irresistible power of a beautiful woman on a heart so 

 young as his ; and the following is the description he gave of 

 Mrs. Denham, to one of his Christchurch friends, on his return 

 to Oxford, after the vacation :— 



'She is,' said he, 'just what, to my eye, a beautiful woman 

 should be. Her person is of an advantageous stature, very 

 well proportioned, and not too tall. Her hair is black as jet, 

 with more of nature than art in the arrangement of it ; her 

 eyes, neither quite black nor yet grey, contain more sweetness 

 than fire. Her complexion inclines to the pale, though it does 

 not want freshness. There is, in fact, a mixture of the lily with 

 the rose, and a clearness and delicacy of skin which is essential 

 to beauty in a woman. Her words and actions are full of 

 grace, and there appears a sweetness of temper in her manner 

 and demeanour, that must engage the affections of every one. 

 Then there is a feature in her person which I greatly admire, 

 and that is, the form of her hand and arm. By heavens, they 

 might be copied for the portrait of the white-armed Juno ; and 

 her bust altogether would have done for a Phidias or a Praxi- 

 teles. And in her, even is an imperfection created a beauty. 

 She has a slight hesitation in uttering her words, which, if she 

 were my wife, I would not have removed on any account. And 

 yet I can hardly describe to 3^ou the effect it has, but it is some- 

 what like this: — it gives a simplicity of expression, delightful 

 in any one, l)ut irresistibly so in a pretty woman ; a sort of 

 confiding manner about it, which, although it cannot be de- 



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