They were enjoying it to the full , a happy , ragged colony , careless of what the morrows might bring forth . Out beyond , the boats were at anchor , floating as gracefully on the twinkling water as sea birds , their tall masts bowing landward on the swell . A lazy , dreamful calm had fallen over the distant seas ; the horizon blues were pale and dim ; faint purple hazes blurred the outlines of far-off headlands and cliffs ; the yellow sands sparkled in the sunshine as if powdered with jewels . A murmurous babble of life buzzed about the hamlet , pierced through by the shrill undertones of the wrangling children , most of whom had paused in their play to scan the visitors with covert curiosity . Marian led the way to a house apart from the others at the very edge of the shelving rock . The dooryard was scrupulously clean and unlittered ; the little footpath through it was neatly bordered by white clam shells ; several thrifty geraniums in bloom looked out from the muslin-curtained windows . A weary-faced woman came forward to meet them . `` Bessie 's much the same , Miss Lesley , '' she said , in answer to Marian 's inquiry . `` The doctor you sent was here today and did all he could for her . He seemed quite hopeful . She do n't complain or nothing -- just lies there and moans . Sometimes she gets restless . It 's very kind of you to come so often , Miss Lesley . Here , Magdalen , will you put this basket the lady 's brought up there on the shelf ? '' A girl , who had been sitting unnoticed with her back to the visitors , at the head of the child 's cot in one corner of the room , stood up and slowly turned around . Marian and Esterbrook Elliott both started with involuntary surprise . Esterbrook caught his breath like a man suddenly awakened from sleep . In the name of all that was wonderful , who or what could this girl be , so little in harmony with her surroundings ? Standing in the crepuscular light of the corner , her marvellous beauty shone out with the vivid richness of some rare painting . She was tall , and the magnificent proportions of her figure were enhanced rather than marred by the severely plain dress of dark print that she wore .
The heavy masses of her hair , a shining auburn dashed with golden foam , were coiled in a rich , glossy knot at the back XXXXX the classically modelled head and rippled back from a low brow whose waxen fairness even the breezes of the ocean had spared .
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