He was conscious of a little amused curiosity about this Backwoods beauty, and, at hearing this second appeal to Maurice where she was concerned, it occurred to him to look more attentively than he had done before at the person appealed to.

They were standing opposite to each other, and they had three attributes in common.

Both were tall, both young, and both handsome.

Percy was twenty-eight, and looked more than his age.

Maurice was twenty-four, and looked less.