Volume II Part 33 (1/2)
Miss Lawrence shook her head, a lull cae her scenery, now unique She had placed before the picture a velvet screen, deep erass-like in its shade; this veil stood out alone, for she had cleared away all signs of picture, sketch, or other fra was in the room but the picture on its lofty easel, and the loftier velvet shade
I appreciated to the full the artist tact of the veil itself, and said so
”I think,” was her reply, ”it will bea little bit, and his curiosity is touched a moment”
And then ent downstairs Davy, who always had occupation on hand, and would not have been destitute of duty on the shore of a desert island, was absent in the city; Millicent, who had taken her work to a as stitching the most delicate wristband in Europe, inside the heavy satin curtain, as comfortably as in her tiny home Miss Lawrence went and stood by her, entertained her enchantingly, eternally reh; but still my honored hostess was very impetuously excited, for her eyes sparkled assun She twisted the tassel of the blind, too, till I thought the silk cord would have snapped; but Millicent only looked up gratefully at her, without the slightest sign of astonishment or th, when Miss Lawrence, fairly exhausted with talking, was gathering up her gown into folds and extempore plaits plaits--”Charles! you will be ready at two o'clock, and we shall get ho of her baby, her little house, her heaven of ho back to winter foraway The , that I had heard the day before But is this strange? For there is a slumber we call death About half-past ten a foot to Millicent, though not explaining, and we left the rooether She sent me onwards to the studio, and went downstairs alone I soon heard the up,--indeed, I expected the, and never lost a , and when he entered he did not at first perceive me His face was exquisite A charm softened the Hebrew keenness, that was not awful, like the passion ht He was flushed, butuntil it is weary; his eyes, dilated, were of softer kindness than the brain gives birth to,--his happy yet ard s to rejoice His clear gaze, his eager footstep, ree of manhood; it was, indeed, as a , and had never shone before They stood now before the screen, and I was astonished at the utter self-possession of the paintress; she only watched his face, and seemed to await his wishes
”That screen is very beautiful velvet, and very beautifullyhidden behind it? I have been very good, Miss Lawrence, and I waited very patiently; I do not think I can wait any longer May I pull it away?”
”Sir, most certainly It is for you to do so at your pleasure I ah you will think me not over-modest”
Seraphael touched the screen,--it was massive, and resisted his little hand; he becahed, but I rushed out of ave me that little hand and a smile of his very own
”Look, dearest sir!” I cried, ”pray look now!”
And indeed he looked; and indeed, I shall not forget it It was so strange to turn froht, the brilliant paleness, the changeful glow, the look of intense and concentrated vitality upon tee, the aspect of glory beyond the grave, the lustre unearthly, but not of death, that struck from those breathless lips, those snow-sealed eyes; and, above all, to see that the light seemed not to descend from the crown upon the forehead, but to aspire from the forehead to the crown,--so the rays were mixed and fused into the idea of that eternity in which there shall be a new earth besides another heaven! That transcending picture, hoould it affect hirew more like it
The smile faded, the deep melancholy I had seldooes into a cloud his face assumed a darklier paleness, he appeared to suffer, but did not speak
In sohing gently, as gently said,--
”I wish I were more like it! I wish I were as that is! But we h we may paint pictures I should like to deserve your idea, but I do not at present Happy for us all who build upon the future as you have done in that painting,--I mean entirely as to the perfection of the work”
”Have I your permission to keep it, sir?”
”What else, madam, would you do with it?”
”Oh! if you had not approved, I should have slashed it into pieces with a carving-knife or my father's razor I shall keep it, with your permission; it will be very valuable and precious, and I have to thank you for the inesti it”
This cool treathted me,--it was the only one to restore our Chevalier He, indeed, returned unto his rest, for he left the house that moment Nor could I have desired him to reine hione when Clara, for the first tiust had kissed the corn, the golden-drooping sheaves waved through the land fresh cut, and the latest roses mixed pale amidst the lilies beneath the bounteous harvest- twice over to part with them that once, and therefore it will not be believed how soon I could recover the farewell and feed upon Clara's letters, which never failed me once aelse could have done; for they told of a life secluded as any who loved _him_ could desire for him, and not more free from pain than care Of herself she never spoke, except to breathe sishes for her friends; but her whole soul seemed bent upon his existence, and her descriptions were almost a diary I could not be astonished at her influence, for it had governed my best days; but that she should be able to secure such a boon to us as a year of unated repose for him, was precisely what I had not anticipated, nor dared to expect Meanwhile, and during that year, our as harder than ever Davy and I were quite unconscious of progressing, yet were perfectly happy, and as ever deterht contumacy on the part of the pupils kept Davy up to the mark From Starwood, who had returned to Germany, I also received accounts; but he was no letter-writer, except when there was anything very particular to say He was still a student, and still under Seraphael's roof Strange and Arabian dreams were those I had of that house in the heart of a country so far away, for the Chevalier hadin his idiosyncrasy so betokened the Oriental tincture of his blood as his restless fondness formany homes while he was actually at home in none
We lived very happily, as I said It was, perhaps, not extraordinary that to rew more infinitely attached, was one with it, and could scarcely divide myself from it I lived at home still,--that is, I slept at home, and usually ate there; but Davy's house was also horown dearer to me than ever, and was now fairer The summer after our friends had left us was brilliant as the last, and now the shell was al of the loveliest creepers; the dahlias in the garden had given place to standard rose-trees, and though Carlotta could not reach them, she had learned to say, ”Rose!” and to put up her pretty hand for me to pluck her one
With a flower she would sit and play an entire , and we never had any trouble with her Millicent worked and studied as conveniently as though she had never been born; for it was Davy's suprehter at home, and her mamma had very elaborate ideas of self-culture in anticipation During that autuht way Davy took it into his head to give utterance, for the first time, to a public concert; and I will not say I was reat many sessions on the subject, not exactly able to settle whether ould undertake a selection or some entire work Our people were rather revived out of utter darkness concerning ht was little diffused, and seemed condensed in our class-rooreat demonstrations in favor of the ”Messiah;” and my mother, who had taken an extraordinary interest in the affair, said, innocently enough,--
”Then why, my dears, not represent the 'Messiah'? It will be at Christmas time, and very suitable”
This was not the point, for Davy had re year at the centre of the toould open with that work,--unless, indeed, the committee departed from their precedent on all former occasions My idea would have been a performance all Bach, Beethoven, and Seraphael, with Handel's Ode for a commencement, on the 22d of November; but Davy shook his head at ed th we accepted the ”Messiah,”--to the great delight of the chorus and band