d her eyes
were brown. Not a bright, shining brown; this brown was deep and misty,
and its light was the light given back from a lake, not the light of a
star. In her face there was no rose at all; it was pure and pale as a
snowdrop; and her look, Isoult thought, was like the look of an angel.
Her smile was embodied sweetness; her voice soft and low, clear as a
silver bell. There are few such voices out of England, but the
combination of fair hair with dark eyes is the Venetian style of beauty.
Rare in any land, yet there are occasional instances in each. For
such, in Italy, was Dante's Beatrice; such, in Germany, was Louise of
Stolberg, the wife of the last Stuart; and such, with ourselves, was
"England's Elizabeth."

"Doth Mistress Rose here dwell, and may one have speech of her?"
inquired Isoult of the vision before her.

"Will it please you to take the pain to come within?" answered the sweet
voice. "I am Thekla Rose."

Wondering at a name which she had never heard before, Isoult suffered
Thekla to lead her into a small, pleasant parlour, where Mrs Rose sat
spinning. She was a comely, comfortable-looking woman of middle height,
round-faced and rosy, with fair hair like her daughter's, but grey eyes.
Isoult had forgotten her foreign origin till she heard her speak. Her
English, however, was fluent and pleasant enough; and she told her
visitors that she came from a town in Flanders, close to the German
border.

"Where," pursued Mrs Rose, "people are bred up in their common life to
speak four tongues; which shall say, Flemish--that is the language of
Flanders; and Spanish--the Spaniards do rule over us; and Low Dutch
[German],--because we have much to do with the Low Dutch; and the better
bred women also French. And I teach my Thekla all these tongues, saving
the Flemish; for they speak not Flemish only in Flanders; it should do
her not much good. But in all these four tongues have I kinsfolk; for
my father was a true-born Fleming, and to him I alway spake Flemish; and
my mother was a Spanish woman, and I spake Spanish with her; and my
father's brother was wedded unto a dame of Low Dutchland (for whom my
daughter is named Thekla, which is a Low Dutch name); and his sister did
marry a Frenchman. So you shall see I am akin to all this world!"

Mistress Rose entreated her guests to stay for four-hours, when she
hoped Mr Rose would be at home; but Isoult was somewhat afraid of losing
her way in the dark, an