Amid its other charms and novelties, this new life was one totally
devoid of the necessity of considering ways and means. The girl's
natural tastes were far from simple, and the luxury in which Morris
lived and travelled soon seemed not only congenial, but proper and
customary.
At Paris, where they stayed some time, she first discovered the subtle
delight that lies in the possession of dainty clothes. Her guardian gave
her _carte blanche_ at both costumiers and milliners, but, through
diffidence, she took little advantage of this generosity. Realising
this, he visited one of the leading _ateliers_, and gave orders direct
to madame herself to lavishly stock Evarne's wardrobe.
Thus the girl found herself clad in garments totally different to any
she had ever seen--let alone possessed. She reluctantly consented to try
to endure corsets, but very soon gave up the attempt in despair. But
madame, far from discouraged, exerted her ingenuity to array the girl's
lithe yet well-developed young form to the best advantage without any
such fictitious aid, and she succeeded even beyond her expectations.
Never before had Evarne realised the latent possibilities of her own
figure. She took unconcealed delight in beholding her reflection in the
mirror, and positively revelled in her silk linings, silk petticoats,
silk stockings, and other hitherto undreamed-of silken luxuries.
Venice was visited, then Ravenna, Florence, Pisa and Rome. Day after day
Morris was untiring in the thought and care he took for his new toy.
Evarne, apparently, looked upon his utmost and constant attention as
merely part of the accepted routine of the journey, and noted it with
the quiet indifference of a spoilt beauty. Yet there was no suggestion
of coquetry or affectation about the girl. Her mind, as well as her
person, was developing on calm, stately and dignified lines.
She was, in her turn, almost as quietly affectionate and attentive to
him as she would have been to her father, but the vainest of men could
not have persuaded himself that she made the least effort--open or
covert--to at all unduly ingratiate herself into his regard. "Kindness
in women, not their beauteous looks, shall win my love," sings the wise
poet, but Morris had been taught so early and so often how many women
are over-eager to be "kind" to a wealthy man, that Evarne's simple ways
were attractive by reason of their very novelty. It served as a _sauce
piquante_, and before Naples was reached he felt more genuine love for
this sweet child than he had deemed that well-worn article--his
heart--would ever again have the good luck to experience.
It was not until they were actually in the train bound for Naples that
he broke to her the information that the looked-for introduction to Mrs.
Kenyon must be postponed for the present.