Епоха невинності

           (Theypreferredthoseaboutpeasantlife,becauseofthedescriptionsofsceneryandthepleasantersentiments,thoughingeneraltheylikednovelsaboutpeopleinsociety,whosemotivesandhabitsweremorecomprehensible,spokeseverelyofDickens,who"hadneverdrawnagentleman,"andconsideredThackeraylessathomeinthegreatworldthanBulwer—who,however,wasbeginningtobethoughtold-fashioned.)Mrs.andMissArcherwerebothgreatloversofscenery.Itwaswhattheyprincipallysoughtandadmiredontheiroccasionaltravelsabroad;consideringarchitectureandpaintingassubjectsformen,andchieflyforlearnedpersonswhoreadRuskin.Mrs.ArcherhadbeenbornaNewland,andmotheranddaughter,whowereaslikeassisters,wereboth,aspeoplesaid,"trueNewlands";tall,pale,andslightlyround-shouldered,withlongnoses,sweetsmilesandakindofdroopingdistinctionlikethatincertainfadedReynoldsportraits.TheirphysicalresemblancewouldhavebeencompleteifanelderlyembonpointhadnotstretchedMrs.Archer’sblackbrocade,whileMissArcher’sbrownandpurplepoplinshung,astheyearswenton,moreandmoreslacklyonhervirginframe.Mentally,thelikenessbetweenthem,asNewlandwasaware,waslesscompletethantheiridenticalmannerismsoftenmadeitappear.Thelonghabitoflivingtogetherinmutuallydependentintimacyhadgiventhemthesamevocabulary,andthesamehabitofbeginningtheirphrases"Motherthinks"or"Janeythinks,"accordingasoneortheotherwishedtoadvanceanopinionofherown;butinreality,whileMrs.