The squareness of
lower jaw, the full red lips, the mobile nostrils, and the proud carriage
of the head gave the impression of a being half-savage, untamed, perhaps
cruel, and corrected the liquid softness of the almost feminine eye, that
general characteristic of the race. Now, the first surprise over, Nina
saw those eyes fixed upon her with such an uncontrolled expression of
admiration and desire that she felt a hitherto unknown feeling of
shyness, mixed with alarm and some delight, enter and penetrate her whole
being.
Confused by those unusual sensations she stopped in the doorway and
instinctively drew the lower part of the curtain across her face, leaving
only half a rounded cheek, a stray tress, and one eye exposed, wherewith
to contemplate the gorgeous and bold being so unlike in appearance to the
rare specimens of traders she had seen before on that same verandah.
Dain Maroola, dazzled by the unexpected vision, forgot the confused
Almayer, forgot his brig, his escort staring in open-mouthed admiration,
the object of his visit and all things else, in his overpowering desire
to prolong the contemplation of so much loveliness met so suddenly in
such an unlikely place--as he thought.
"It is my daughter," said Almayer, in an embarrassed manner.
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