CHAPTER XVII 216
her appearance accorded with Mrs. Fairfax ' s description; secondly, whether it at all resembled the fancy miniature I had painted of her; and thirdly-- it will out!-- whether it were such as I should fancy likely to suit Mr. Rochester ' s taste.
As far as person went, she answered point for point, both to my picture and Mrs. Fairfax ' s description. The noble bust, the sloping shoulders, the graceful neck, the dark eyes and black ringlets were all there;-- but her face? Her face was like her mother ' s; a youthful unfurrowed likeness: the same low brow, the same high features, the same pride. It was not, however, so saturnine a pride! she laughed continually; her laugh was satirical, and so was the habitual expression of her arched and haughty lip.
Genius is said to be self-conscious. I cannot tell whether Miss Ingram was a genius, but she was self-conscious-- remarkably self- conscious indeed. She entered into a discourse on botany with the gentle Mrs. Dent. It seemed Mrs. Dent had not studied that science: though, as she said, she liked flowers, " especially wild ones;" Miss Ingram had, and she ran over its vocabulary with an air. I presently perceived she was( what is vernacularly termed) TRAILING Mrs. Dent; that is, playing on her ignorance-- her TRAIL might be clever, but it was decidedly not good-natured. She played: her execution was brilliant; she sang: her voice was fine; she talked French apart to her mamma; and she talked it well, with fluency and with a good accent.
Mary had a milder and more open countenance than Blanche; softer features too, and a skin some shades fairer( Miss Ingram was dark as a Spaniard)-- but Mary was deficient in life: her face lacked expression, her eye lustre; she had nothing to say, and having once taken her seat, remained fixed like a statue in its niche. The sisters were both attired in spotless white.
And did I now think Miss Ingram such a choice as Mr. Rochester would be likely to make? I could not tell-- I did not know his taste in female beauty. If he liked the majestic, she was the very type of majesty: then she was accomplished, sprightly. Most gentlemen would admire her, I thought; and