[20] The great zygomatic
muscle is sometimes variable in its course, and I have seen
a young woman in whom the _depressores anguli oris_ were
brought into strong action in suppressing a smile; but this
by no means gave to her countenance a melancholy expression,
owing to the brightness of her eyes.
Laughter is frequently employed in a forced manner to conceal or mask
some other state of mind, even anger. We often see persons laughing
in order to conceal their shame or shyness. When a person purses up
his mouth, as if to prevent the possibility of a smile, though there
is nothing to excite one, or nothing to prevent its free indulgence,
an affected, solemn, or pedantic expression is given; but of such hybrid
expressions nothing more need here be said. In the case of derision,
a real or pretended smile or laugh is often blended with the expression
proper to contempt, and this may pass into angry contempt or scorn.
In such cases the meaning of the laugh or smile is to show the offending
person that he excites only amusement.
_Love, tender feelings, &c_.--Although the emotion of love,
for instance that of a mother for her infant, is one of the strongest
of which the mind is capable, it can hardly be said to have any
proper or peculiar means of expression; and this is intelligible,
as it has not habitually led to any special line of action.
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