The next day, the whole village of Milford talked of little else than Parson Hooper's black
veil. That, and the mystery concealed behind it, supplied a topic for discussion between acquaintances meeting in the street, and good women gossiping at their open windows.
"No," she answered, behind the
veil. "We go on with my inquiries."
The streak of daylight being now excluded from the room, Miss Dunross threw back her
veil, and took the harp on her knee; seating herself, I observed, with her face turned away from the fire.
"I don't think
veils are usually worn with any but white dresses," admitted Anne, "but that is merely a convention; and I am like Mr.
"Four men," said the landlord, "riding a la jineta, with lances and bucklers, and all with black
veils, and with them there is a woman in white on a side-saddle, whose face is also
veiled, and two attendants on foot."
Success was partial--and fitful--still there was a result: ever and anon, the
veil seemed to vanish, in a sudden flash of light: but, before I could fully realise the face, all was dark again.
I looked, and down came Sagramor riding again, with his dust brushed off and is
veil nicely re-arranged.
Just at sunset, the air turned cold and the sky cloudy: I went in, Sophie called me upstairs to look at my wedding-dress, which they had just brought; and under it in the box I found your present--the
veil which, in your princely extravagance, you sent for from London: resolved, I suppose, since I would not have jewels, to cheat me into accepting something as costly.
Wilson had quickly chosen a position from which he could watch the girl without running much risk of being seen by her, and he remained there hoping she would raise her
veil and betray her face.
All times and peoples gaze divers-coloured out of your
veils; all customs and beliefs speak divers-coloured out of your gestures.
His eyes, looking serenely and steadily at Rostov, seemed to be
veiled by something, as if screened by blue spectacles of conventionality.
Their
veils were down, and hid their faces from me.