Valentine did not regain his customary good spirits; and Mrs. Peckover
relapsed into whispering discontentedly to herself--now and then
looking towards the bookcase, where young Thorpe was sitting sleepily,
with a volume of engravings on his knee. It was, more or less, a relief
to everybody when the supper-tray came up, and the cards were put away
for the night.
Zack, becoming quite lively again at the prospect of a little eating
and drinking, tried to return to the dangerous subject of the Hair
Bracelet; addressing himself, on this occasion, directly to Valentine.
He was interrupted, however, before he had spoken three words. Mr.
Blyth suddenly remembered that he had an important communication of his
own to make to young Thorpe.
"Excuse me, Zack," he said, "I have some news to tell you, which Mrs.
Peckover's arrival drove out of my head; and which I must mention at
once, while I have the opportunity. Both my pictures are done--what do
you think of that?--done, and in their frames. I settled the titles
yesterday. The classical landscape is to be called 'The Golden Age,'
which is a pretty poetical sort of name; and the figure-subject is to
be 'Columbus in Sight of the New World;' which is, I think, simple,
affecting, and grand.
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