 something
in it that was half-smile half-sneer; not exactly malignant, and by no means
innocent; something made up of the simplicity of a lighted match, and its
proximity to powder, yet neither deadly, in spite of a wicked twinkle, nor at
all pretending to be harmless: in short, a specimen of old English practical
humour.
    He laboured to express these or corresponding views of it, with tolerably
natural laughter, and Cecilia rallied her spirits at his pleasant manner of
taking his blow.
    »I shall compliment the baron when I meet him to-night,« he said. »What can
we compare him to?«
    She suggested the Commander of the Faithful, the Lord Haroun, who likewise
had a turn for buffooneries to serve a purpose, and could direct them loftily
and sovereignly.
    »No: Everard Romfrey 's a Northerner from the feet up,« said Beauchamp.
    Cecilia compliantly offered him a sketch of the Scandinavian Troll: much
nearer the mark, he thought, and exclaimed: »Baron Troll! I 'm afraid, Cecilia,
you have robbed him of the best part of his fun. And you will owe it entirely to
him if you should be represented in Parliament by my cousin Baskelett.«
    »Promise me, Nevil, that you will, when you meet Captain Baskelett, not
forget I did you some service, and that I wish, I shall be so glad if you do not
resent certain things. ... Very objectionable, we all think.«
    He released her from the embarrassing petition: »Oh! now I know my man, you
may be sure I won't waste a word on him. The fact is, he would not understand a
word, and would require more - and that I don't do. When I fancied Mr. Austin
was the responsible person, I meant to speak to him.«
    Cecilia smiled gratefully.
    The sweetness of a love-speech would not have been sweeter to her than this
proof of civilized chivalry in Nevil.
    They came to the fir-heights overlooking Bevisham. Here the breezy beginning
of a South-western autumnal gale tossed the ponies' manes and made threads of
Cecilia's shorter locks of beautiful auburn by the temples and the neck,
blustering the curls that streamed in a thick involution from the silken band
gathering them off her uncovered clear-swept ears.
    Beauchamp took an impression of her side face. It seemed to offer him
everything the world could offer of cultivated purity, intelligent beauty and
attractiveness and »Wilt thou?« said the winged
