less a young girl, would desire to be well
acquainted with. He was, I believe, a man of remarkable talent, and
spent most of his time between Oxford and Italy, though he visited
Royston occasionally, and built the large hall here, which we use as a
dancing-room. Before he was twenty wild stories were prevalent as to his
licentious life, and by thirty his name was a by-word among sober and
upright people. He had constantly with him at Oxford and on his travels
a boon companion called Jocelyn, who aided him in his wickednesses,
until on one of their Italian tours Jocelyn left him suddenly and became
a Trappist monk. It was currently reported that some wild deed of Adrian
Temple had shocked even him, and so outraged his surviving instincts of
common humanity that he was snatched as a brand from the burning and
enabled to turn back even in the full tide of his wickedness. However
that may be, Adrian went on in his evil course without him, and about
four years after disappeared. He was last heard of in Naples, and it is
believed that he succumbed during a violent outbreak of the plague which
took place in Italy in the autumn of 1752. That is all I shall tell you
of him, and indeed I know little more myself. The only good trait that
has been handed down concerning him is that he was a masterly musician,
performing admirably upon the violin, which he had studied under the
illustrious Tartini himself. Yet even his art of music, if tradition
speaks the truth, was put by him to the basest of uses."

I apologised for my indiscretion in asking her about an unpleasant
subject, and at the same time thanked her for what she had seen fit to
tell me, professing myself much interested, as indeed I really was.

"Was he a handsome man?"

"That is a girl's question," she answered, smiling. "He is said to
have been very handsome; and indeed his picture, painted after his
first youth was past, would still lead one to suppose so. But his
complexion was spoiled, it is said, and turned to deadly white by
certain experiments, which it is neither possible nor seemly for us to
understand. His face is of that long oval shape of which all the Temples
are proud, and he had brown eyes: we sometimes tease Constance, saying
she is like Adrian."

It was indeed true, as I remembered after Mrs. Temple had pointed it
out, that Constance had a peculiarly long and oval face. It gave her, I
think, an air of staid and placid beauty, which formed in my eyes,