The young men were about on a par with the young ladies.

Some lisped and were affected, some were natural and manly; and I began to think that, as far as the people were concerned, the Christmas gathering would be a somewhat tame affair.
This thought had scarcely entered my mind when two men entered the room, who were certainly not of the ordinary type, and will need a few words of description; for both were destined, as my story will show, to have considerable influence over my life.
I will try to describe the more striking of the two first.
He was a young man.

Not more than thirty-five.

He was fairly tall, well built, and had evidently enjoyed the education and advantages of a man of wealth.

His hair was black as the raven's wings, and was brushed in a heavy mass horizontally across his forehead.