A Princess of Thule (Electronic book text)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. Excerpt from book: Section 3CHAPTER II. THE FAIR-HAIRED STRANGER. " Why, you must be in love with her yourself! " " I in love with her ? Sheila and I are too old friends for that!" The speakers were two young men, seated in the stern of the steamer textit{Clansman, as she ploughed her way across the blue and rushing waters of the Minch. One of them was a tall young fellow of three and-twenty, with fair hair, and light blue eyes, whose delicate and mobile features were handsome enough in their way, and gave evidence of a nature at once sensitive, nervous, and impulsive. He was clad in light grey from head to heela colour that suited his fair complexion and yellow hair; and he lounged about the white deck in the glare of the sunlight, steadying himself from time to time, as an unusually big wave carried the textit{Clansman aloft for a second or two, and then sent her staggering and groaning into a hissing trough of foam. Now and again he would pause in front of his companion, and talk in a rapid, playful, and even eloquent fashion for a minute or two; and then, apparently a trifle annoyed by the slow and patient attention which greeted his oratorical efforts, would start off once more on his unsteady journey up and down the white planks. The other was a man of thirty-eight, of middle height, sallow complexion, and generally insignificant appearance. His hair was becoming prematurely grey. He rarely spoke. He was dressed in a suit of rough blue cloth; and, indeed, looked somewhat like a pilot who had gone ashore, taken to study, and never recovered himself. A stranger would have noticed the tall and fair young man, who walked up and down thegleaming deck, evidently enjoying the brisk breeze that blew about his yellow hair, and the sunlight that touched his pale and fine face, or sparked on his teeth when he laughed, but w...