The Helmet of Mambrino 



hand, completely, and hung in folds 

 to the ground. There was nothing 

 to distract from his face, now thrown 

 into full profile against the rough 

 wall. 



Far back over the bald cranial arch, 

 a thin coat of mixed gray and brown 

 wiry hair covered the back of his 

 head, just where it rested on the blue 

 handkerchief he had carefully com- 

 posed over an improvised pillow. 

 The heavy eyebrow formed a particu- 

 larly long, high bow, and ended ab- 

 ruptly against a slightly sunken bony 

 temple. The orbital hollow, an un- 

 usually large and cavernous bowl, 

 showed beneath the brow a tracery 

 of feeble blue veins ; but the closed 

 eye domed boldly up, its yellow lids 

 strongly fringed with long brown 

 lashes. The hooked beak of a well- 

 modeled but large aquiline nose 

 curved down from the brow. Over 

 his always compressed mouth grew a 

 14 



