"Only fairly. She is far prettier. My wife is something uncommon. No
picture ever does her justice."

"She looks like a dark beauty. Is her hair black or brown?"

"Black. So black it has purple shades in it."

"And her eyes? Black too?"

"No, gray. A deep gray, which look black owing to her long lashes."

"Very good. Now about her dress. Describe it as minutely as you can. It
was a bride's traveling costume, I suppose."

"Yes. That is, I presume so. I know that it was all right and suitable to
the occasion, but I don't remember much about it. I was thinking too much
of the woman in the gown to notice the gown itself."

"Cannot you tell the color?"

"It was a dark one. I'm sure it was a dark one, but colors are not much
in my line. I know she looked well--they can tell you about it at the
house. All that I distinctly remember is the veil she had wound so
tightly around her face and hat to keep the rice out of her hair that
I could not get one glimpse of her features. All nonsense that veil,
especially when I had promised not to address her or even to touch her
in the cab. And she wore it into the office. If it had not been for that
I might have foreseen her intention in time to prevent it."