3. III.
The next day a new character appeared on the
stage.
“Such a handsome pedlar!” said magnificent Helen
— to me, as I gave my horse to the groom after
a ride in search of hellebore, and joined the promenade
at the well: “and what do you think? he sells
only by raffle! It's so nice! All sorts of Berlin iron
ornaments, and everything German and sweet; and
the pedlar's smile's worth more than the prizes; and
such a mustache! See! there he is! — and now, if
he has sold all his tickets — will you come, Master
Gravity?”
“I hear a voice you can not hear,” thought I, as I
gave the beauty my arm, and joined a crowd of people
gathered about a pedlar's box in the centre of the
parterre.
The itinerant vender spread his wares in the midst
of the gay assemblage, and the raffle went on. He
was excessively handsome. A head of the sweet gentleness
of Raphael's, with locks flowing to his shoulders
in the fashion of German students, a soft brown
mustache curving on a short Phidian upper lip, a
large blue eye expressive of enthusiasm rather than
passion, and features altogether purely intellectual —
formed a portrait of which even jealousy might console
itself. Through all the disadvantages of a dress
suited to his apparent vocation, an eye the least on
the alert for a disguise would have penetrated his in
a moment. The gay and thoughtless crowd about
him, not accustomed to impostors who were more than
they pretended to be, trusted him for a pedlar, but
treated him with a respect far above his station insensibly.
Whatever his object was, so it were honorable, I
inly determined to give him all the assistance in my
power. A single glance at the face of Meeta, who
joined the circle as the prizes were drawn — a face so
changed since yesterday, so flushed with hope and
pleasure, and yet so saddened by doubt and fear, the
small lips compressed, the soft black eye kindled and
restless, and the red leaf on her cheek deepened to a
feverish beauty — left me no shadow of hesitation. I
exchanged a look with her that I intended should say
as much.
