The Beautiful Lady (Barnes & Noble Digital Library)

This early (1905) short novel is a gentle comedy of errors and manners. Ansolini, a down-and-out artist working in Paris as a carrier of advertising placards, falls for a woman whose face he does not see—but her kindness is unmistakable. His appreciation for her beautiful soul propels him to protect her against a malevolent suitor, without hopes of gaining her love.