Moreover, she paid, about this time, marked attention to dress: the morning dishabille, the nightcap and shawl, were discarded; Dr.John's early visits always found her with auburn braids all nicely arranged, silk dress trimly fitted on, neat laced brodequins in lieu of slippers: in short the whole toilette complete as a model, and fresh as a flower.

I scarcely think, however, that her intention in this went further than just to show a very handsome man that she was not quite a plain woman; and plain she was not.

Without beauty of feature or elegance of form, she pleased.
Without youth and its gay graces, she cheered.

One never tired of seeing her: she was never monotonous, or insipid, or colourless, or flat.

Her unfaded hair, her eye with its temperate blue light, her cheek with its wholesome fruit-like bloom--these things pleased in moderation, but with constancy.
Had she, indeed, floating visions of adopting Dr.John as a husband, taking him to her well-furnished home, endowing him with her savings, which were said to amount to a moderate competency, and making him comfortable for the rest of his life?
Did Dr.John suspect her of such visions?
I have met him coming out of her presence with a mischievous half-smile about his lips, and in his eyes a look as of masculine vanity elate and tickled.