She had given her a brilliant and efficient mind in a still more brilliant and efficient body, clothed her in all the colours of life; made her a creature of ardent and elemental beauty.

Rhoda Vivian had brown hair with sparkles of gold in it and flakes of red fire; her eyes were liquid grey, the grey of water; her lips were full, and they pouted a little proudly; it was the pride of life.

And she had other gifts which did not yet appear at St.
Sidwell's.

There was something about her still plastic and unformed; you could not say whether it was the youth of genius, or only the genius of youth.

But at three-and-twenty she had chosen her path, and gone far on it, and it had been honours all the way.