The great fault in her features, which were most classically regular, lay in the monotony and uniform character of their expression.

Now this was quite changed.

Her cheek was slightly flushed, and her eyes more brilliant than ever; while her slightly parted lips gave a degree of speaking earnestness to her expression, that made her perfectly beautiful.
Whether it was from this cause I cannot say, but I certainly never felt so suddenly decided in my life from one course to its very opposite, as I now did to make l'aimable to my lovely companion.

And here, I fear, I must acknowledge, in the honesty of these confessional details, that vanity had also its share in the decision.

To be the admitted and preferred suitor of the prettiest woman in company, is generally a strong inducement to fall desperately in love with her, independently of other temptations for so doing.
How far my successes tallied with my good intentions in this respect, I cannot now say.