He
had seen too many instances of his friend's influence over men and women,
to doubt his ability to win this innocent inexperienced girl, had he set
himself to win her. He recalled with a bitter smile how his informants
had all described his rival in a disparaging tone, as unworthy of so fair
a bride; and he knew that it was precisely those qualities which these
common people were unable to appreciate that constituted the subtle charm
by which John Saltram influenced others. The rugged power and grandeur of
that dark face, which vulgar critics denounced as plain and unattractive,
the rare fascination of a manner that varied from an extreme reserve to a
wild reckless vivacity, the magic of the deep full voice, with its
capacity for the expression of every shade of emotion--these were
attributes to be passed over and ignored by the vulgar, yet to exercise a
potent influence upon sensitive sympathetic natures.
"How that poor little Anglo-Indian widow loves him, without any effort to
win or hold her affection on his side!" Gilbert said to himself, as he
walked back to Lidford in the darkening November afternoon, brooding
always on the one subject which occupied all his thoughts; "and can I
doubt his power to supersede me if he cared to do so--if he really loved
Marian, as he never has loved Mrs.
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