It was often illumined by smiles
characteristic of men who alternately believe all and believe nothing,
who are accustomed to see and hear all without being startled, and to
fathom the abysses which self-interest hollows in the depths of the
human heart.
Below the hair, which was less white than discolored, and worn
flattened to the head, was a fine, sagacious forehead, the yellow
tones of which harmonized well with the scanty tufts of thin hair. His
face, with the features set close together, bore some likeness to that
of a fox, all the more because his nose was short and pointed. In
speaking, he spluttered at the mouth, which was broad like that of
most great talkers,--a habit which led Goupil to say, ill-naturedly,
"An umbrella would be useful when listening to him," or, "The justice
rains verdicts." His eyes looked keen behind his spectacles, but if he
took the glasses off his dulled glance seemed almost vacant. Though he
was naturally gay, even jovial, he was apt to give himself too
important and pompous an air. He usually kept his hands in the pockets
of his trousers, and only took them out to settle his eye-glasses on
his nose, with a movement that was half comic, and which announced the
coming of a keen observation or some victorious argument.
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