After tea Hortense went upstairs. She had not rummaged her drawers for a month past, and the impulse to perform that operation was now become resistless. During her absence the talk passed into Caroline's hands. She took it up with ease; she fell into her best tone of conversation. A pleasing facility and elegance of language gave fresh charm to familiar topics; a new music in the always soft voice gently surprised and pleasingly captivated the listener; unwonted shades and lights of expression elevated the young countenance with character, and kindled it with animation.

After tea Hortense went upstairs. She had not rummaged her drawers for a month, and the impulse to perform that operation was now irresistible. During her absence Caroline took up the conversation with ease; her elegance of language gave fresh charm to familiar topics; a new music in the soft voice gently surprised the listener; her face was kindled with animation.
