Sad-eyed lady of the Lowlands

She was loved by a series of romantic young men who were captivated by her melancholic air and who wanted nothing more than to hold her and to look after her. To rescue her. Doubts usually set in when they first heard her laugh - partly because the fact of her laughter contradicted the impression that she gave of someone poignantly putting on a brave front in the face of a crushing sadness, but mostly because her laugh was loud, earthy and, frankly, filthy.