Yet such was the proud position which he was now
selected by Fate to occupy. In plain words, Mr. Blyth's greatest
historical work had been for some little time in imminent danger of
destruction by falling; and Mat's "look at the picter," was the
all-important look which enabled him to be the first person in the room
who perceived that it was in peril.
The eye with which Mr. Marksman now regarded the picture was certainly
the eye of a barbarian; but the eye with which he afterwards examined
the supports by which it was suspended, was the eye of a sailor, and of
a good practical carpenter to boot. He saw directly, that one of the
two iron clamps to which the frame-lines of "Columbus" were attached,
had been carelessly driven into a part of the wall that was not strong
enough to hold it against the downward stress of the heavy frame.
Little warning driblets of loosened plaster had been trickling down
rapidly behind the canvas; but nobody heard them fall in the general
buzz of talking; and nobody noticed the thin, fine crack above the iron
clamp, which was now lengthening stealthily minute by minute.
"Just let me by, will you?" said Mat quietly to some of his neighbors.
"I want to stop those flying women and the man in the crank ship from
coming down by the long run.
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