He Was More Than Ordinarily Tall For His Years, Admirably Well
Proportioned, And Had Something Of A Grave Fierceness In His Air And
Deportment, That Tho' He Was Not Yet Sixteen, He Might Very Well Have
Passed For Twenty:
He was also extremely fair, had regular features, and
eyes the most penetrating, mixed with a certain sweetness; so that it
was difficult to say whether he seemed most formed for love or war.
Dorilaus thinking it highly proper he should take his leave of Louisa,
sent for her from the boarding-school, that she might pass the short
time he had to stay with her brother at his house, not without some
hopes that the great tenderness there was between them might put Horatio
out of his resolution of going to the army, who being grown now
extremely dear to him, he could not think of parting with, tho' he had
yielded to it, without a great deal of reluctance.
It is certain, indeed, that when she first heard the motive which had
occasioned her being sent for, her gentle breast was filled with the
most terrible alarms for her dear brother's danger; but the little
regard he seemed to have of it, and the high ideas he had of future
greatness, soon brought her to think as he did; and instead of
dissuading him from prosecuting his design, she rather encouraged him in
it: and in this gave the first testimony of a greatness of soul, no less
to be admired than the courage and laudable ambition which actuated that
of her brother.
Dorilaus beheld with an infinity of satisfaction the success of his
endeavours, in favour of these amiable twins, and said within himself,
how great a pity would it have been, if capacities such as theirs had
been denied the means of improvement!
After the departure of Horatio, he kept Louisa some time with him, under
pretence of showing her the town, which before she had never seen; but
in reality to alleviate that melancholy which parting from her brother
had caused in him. He could not have taken a more effectual way; for
there was such an engaging and sweet cheerfulness in her conversation,
added to many personal perfections, that it was scarce possible to think
of any thing else while she was present. She had also an excellent
voice, and played well on the bass viol and harpsicord, so that it is
hard to say whether he found most satisfaction in hearing her or
discoursing with her.
But how dangerous is it to depend on one's own strength, against the
force of such united charms! Dorilaus, who, in the midst of a thousand
temptations, had maintained the entire liberty of his heart, and tho'
never insensible of beauty, had never been enslaved by it, was now by
charms he least suspected, and at an age when he believed himself proof
against all the attacks of love, subdued without knowing that he was
so. - The tender passion stole into his soul by imperceptible degrees,
and under the shape of friendship and paternal affection, met with no
opposition from his reason, till it became too violent to be restrained;
then showed itself in the whole power of restless wishes, fears, hopes,
and impatiences, which he had often heard others complain of, but not
till now experienced in himself:
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