When, therefore,
Terence and Thomas de Lancey made their appearance, and were walked
in for exhibition by their proud and happy sister, there was some
surprise at the sight of two peculiarly refined, quiet boys, with
colourless complexions, soft, sleepy, long-lashed, liquid brown
eyes, the lowest of full voices, and the gentlest of manners, as if
nothing short of an explosion could rouse them.
And it was presently manifest that their sister had said rather too
little than too much of Terry's abilities. Not only had he brought
home a huge pile of prizes, but no sooner was the seance after
dinner broken up, than he detained Julius, saying, in a very meek
and modest tone, "Rose says you know all the books in the library."
"Rose undertakes a great deal for me. What is this the prelude to?"
"I wanted to ask if I might just look at any book about the physical
geography of Italy, or the History of Venice, or the Phoenicians."
"Why, Terry?"
"It is for the Prize Essay," explained the boy; "the subject is the
effect of the physical configuration of a country upon the character
of a nation.
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