e scandalous state, of the
oven."

His daughter interfered, and stopped him at the critical moment when he
was actually offering his arm to conduct me in state across the kitchen.
Cristel had just put her pretty brown hand over his mouth, and said, "Oh,
father, do pray be quiet!" when we were all three disturbed by another
interruption.

A second door communicating, as I concluded from its position, with the
new cottage, was suddenly opened. In the instant before the person behind
it appeared, the dog looked that way--started up, frightened--and took
refuge under the table. At the next moment, the deaf Lodger walked into
the room. It was he beyond all doubt who had frightened the dog,
forewarned by instinct of his appearance.

What I had read of his writing disposed me, now that I saw the man by
daylight, to find something devilish in the expression of his face. No!
strong as it was, my prejudice failed to make any discoveries that
presented him at a disadvantage. His personal attractions triumphed in
the clear searching light. I now perceived that his eyes were of that
deeply dark blue, which is commonly and falsely described as resembling
the color of the violet. To my thinking, they were so entirely beautiful
that they had no right to be in a man's face. I might have felt the same
objection to the pale delicacy of his complexion, to the soft profusion
of his reddish-brown hair, to his finely shaped sensitive lips, but for
two marked peculiarities in him which would have shown me to be
wrong--that is to say: the expression of power about his head, and the
signs of masculine resolution presented by his mouth and chin.

On entering the room, the first person, and the only person, who
attracted his attention was Cristel.

He bowed, smiled, possessed himself abruptly of her hand, and kissed it.
She tried to withdraw it from his grasp, and met with an obstinate
resistance. His gallantry addressed her in sweet words; and his voice
destroyed their charm by the dreary monotony of the tone in which he
spoke. "On this lovely day, Cristel, Nature pleads for me. Your heart
feels the sunshine and softens towards the poor deaf man who worships
you. Ah, my dear, it's useless to say No. My affliction is my happiness,
when you say cruel things to me. I live in my fool's paradise; I don't
hear you." He tried to draw her nearer to him. "Come, my angel; let me
kiss you."

She made a second attempt to release herself; and this time