“Looks as if he might make a bolt of it — the dashing Buccaneer!”

This ‘very singular-looking man,’ as Mrs. Small afterwards called him, was of medium height and strong build, with apale, brown face, a dust-coloured moustache, very prominent cheek-bones, and hollow checks. His forehead sloped back towardsthe crown of his head, and bulged out in bumps over the eyes, like foreheads seen in the Lion-house at the Zoo. He hadsherry-coloured eyes, disconcertingly inattentive at times. Old Jolyon’s coachman, after driving June and Bosinney to thetheatre, had remarked to the butler:

“I dunno what to make of ’im. Looks to me for all the world like an ‘alf-tame leopard.” And every now and then a Forsytewould come up, sidle round, and take a look at him.

June stood in front, fending off this idle curiosity — a little bit of a thing, as somebody once said, ‘all hair andspirit,’ with fearless blue eyes, a firm jaw, and a bright colour, whose face and body seemed too slender for her crown ofred-gold hair.

A tall woman, with a beautiful figure, which some member of the family had once compared to a heathen goddess, stoodlooking at these two with a shadowy smile.

Her hands, gloved in French grey, were crossed one over the other, her grave, charming face held to one side, and theeyes of all men near were fastened on it. Her figure swayed, so balanced that the very air seemed to set it moving. Therewas warmth, but little colour, in her cheeks; her large, dark eyes were soft.

But it was at her lips — asking a question, giving an answer, with that shadowy smile — that men looked; they weresensitive lips, sensuous and sweet, and through them seemed to come warmth and perfume like the warmth and perfume of aflower.