The fact was, that Lady Brambledown had just remembered that she
had not examined Valentine's works yet, through one of those artistic
tubes which effectively concentrate the rays of light on a picture,
when applied to the eye. Knowing, by former experience, that the studio
was furnished with one of these little instruments, her ladyship now
intimated her ardent desire to use it instantly on "Columbus."
Valentine promised to get it, with his usual ready politeness; but he
had not the slightest idea where it actually was, for all that. Among
the litter of small things that had been cleared out of the way, when
the painting-room was put in order, there were several which he vaguely
remembered having huddled together for safety in the bottom of his
bureau. The tube might possibly have been among them; so in this place
he determined to look for it--being quite ignorant, if the search
turned out unsuccessful, where he ought to look next.
After begging the new visitors to walk in, he opened the bureau, which
was large and old-fashioned, with a little bright key hanging by a
chain that he unhooked from his watch-guard; and began searching inside
amid infinite confusion--all his attention concentrated in the effort
to discover the lost tube.
Pages:
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393