From the moment that Magdalen Crawford 's haunting eyes had looked straight into his for one fleeting second , an unnamable thrill of pain and pleasure stirred his heart , a thrill so strong and sudden and passionate that his face paled with emotion ; the room seemed to swim before his eyes in a mist out of which gleamed that wonderful face with its mesmeric , darkly radiant eyes , burning their way into deeps and abysses of his soul hitherto unknown to him . When the mist cleared away and his head grew steadier , he wondered at himself . Yet he trembled in every limb and the only clear idea that struggled out of his confused thoughts was an overmastering desire to take that cold face between his hands and kiss it until its passionless marble glowed into warm and throbbing life . `` Who is that girl ? '' he said abruptly , when they had left the cottage . `` She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen -- present company always excepted , '' he concluded , with a depreciatory laugh . The delicate bloom on Marian 's face deepened slightly . `` You had much better to have omitted that last sentence , '' she said quietly , `` it was so palpably an afterthought . Yes , she is wonderfully lovely -- a strange beauty , I fancied . There seemed something odd and uncanny about it to me . She must be Mrs. Barrett 's niece . I remember that when I was down here about a month ago Mrs. Barrett told me she expected a niece of hers to live with her -- for a time at least . Her parents were both dead , the father having died recently . Mrs. Barrett seemed troubled about her . She said that the girl had been well brought up and used to better things than the Cove could give her , and she feared that she would be very discontented and unhappy . I had forgotten all about it until I saw the girl today . She certainly seems to be a very superior person ; she will find the Cove very lonely , I am sure . It is not probable she will stay there long . I must see what I can do for her , but her manner seemed rather repellent , do n't you think ? '' `` Hardly , '' responded Esterbrook curtly .
`` She seemed surprisingly dignified and self-possessed , I fancied , for a XXXXX in her position .
Mrs. cottage girl hands kiss life limb moment parents something