e soul, absent from his
common life, dwelt; a fortress which he so well succeeded in concealing,
that its very existence was scarcely suspected.
In his relations and intercourse with others, he always seemed occupied
in what interested them; he was cautions not to lead them from the
circle of their own personality, lest they should intrude into his. If
he gave up but little of his time to others, at least of that which he
did relinquish, he reserved none for himself. No one ever asked him to
give an account of his dreams, his wishes, or his hopes. No one seemed
to wish to know what he sighed for, what he might have conquered, if his
white and tapering fingers could have linked the brazen chords of life
to the golden ones of his enchanted lyre! No one had leisure to think of
this in his presence. His conversation was rarely upon subjects of any
deep interest. He glided lightly over all, and as he gave but little
of his time, it was easily filled with the details of the day. He was
careful never to allow himself to wander into digressions of which he
himself might become the subject. His individuality rarely excited the
investigations of curiosity, or awakened vivid scrutiny. He pleased
too much to excite much reflection. The ensemble of his person was
harmonious, and called for no especial commentary. His blue eye was more
spiritual than dreamy, his bland smile never writhed into bitterness.
The transparent delicacy of his complexion pleased the eye, his fair
hair was soft and silky, his nose slightly aquiline, his bearing so
distinguished, and his manners stamped with so much high breeding, that
involuntarily he was always treated EN PRINCE. His gestures were many
and graceful; the tone of his voice was veiled, often stifled; his
stature was low, and his limbs slight. He constantly reminded us of a
convolvulus balancing its heaven-colored cup upon an incredibly slight
stem, the tissue of which is so like vapor that the slightest contact
wounds and tears the misty corolla.
His manners in society possessed that serenity of mood which
distinguishes those whom no ennui annoys, because they expect no
interest. He was generally gay, his caustic spirit caught the ridiculous
rapidly and far below the surface at which it usually strikes the eye.
He displayed a rich vein of drollery in pantomime. He often amused
himself by reproducing the musical formulas and peculiar tricks of
certain virtuosi, in the most burlesque and comic
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