Two gentlemen were walking slowly, arm in arm,
along one of the broad paths leading towards the house, engrossed in
conversation; both were young and handsome, but they were scarcely of
equal rank, judging by the marked deference paid by one, the elder, to
the other.
We will call this friendly pair Orestes and Pylades for the present,
until we ascertain their real names. The former was about one or two and
twenty, and remarkably handsome and distinguished--strikingly so--with
a very white skin, intensely black hair and eyes, a tall, slender, lithe
figure, shown to advantage by the rich costume of tan-coloured velvet
he wore; and well-formed feet, with high, arched insteps, small and
delicate enough for a woman's--that more than one woman had envied
him--encased in dainty, perfectly fitting boots, made of white Russia
leather. From the careless ease of his manners, and the haughty grace of
his carriage, one would readily divine that he was a great noble; one
of the favoured few of the earth, who are sure of being well received
everywhere, and courted and flattered by everybody. Pylades, though
a good-looking fellow enough, with auburn hair and mustache, was
not nearly so handsome or striking, either in face or figure, as his
companion.
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