It was unnaturally white, the girl thought, and--yes, it _was_ old! But
it was a wonderful face, and the eyes illumined it; immense eyes, though
deepset and looking out of shadowed hollows under level brows black as
ink. Annesley had never seen eyes so like strange jewels, lit from
behind.
That simile came to her, and she smiled, for it was appropriate that this
jewel expert should have jewels for eyes. They were dark topazes, and
from them gazed the spirit of the man with a compelling charm.
Under a rolled-back wave of iron-gray hair he had a broad forehead, high
cheekbones, a pointed prominent chin, a mouth both sweet and humorous,
like that of some enchanting woman; but its sweetness was contradicted by
a hawk nose. Had it not been for that nose he would have been handsome.
"I guessed by the startled tone of your voice, when you asked, 'Who is
there?' that your husband was out," explained the shadow, now transformed
by the light into an extremely tall, extremely thin man in gray
travelling clothes. "I had a moment of repentance at troubling a lady
alone; but, you see, the case was urgent.
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