登陆注册
5463500000062

第62章 CHAPTER XII AROUND THE MILO(4)

Fred's more correct eye, for instance, would be invaluable to Jack Bedford, the ex-sign-painter, who was struggling with the profile of the Gladiator; or Margaret, who could detect at a glance the faintest departure from the lines of the original, would shorten a curve on Oliver's drawing, or he in turn would advise her about the depth of a shadow or the spot for a high light.

As the nights went by and Oliver studied her the closer, the New England girl became all the more inexplicable to him. She was, he could not but admit, like no other woman he had ever met; certainly not in his present surroundings. She really seemed to belong to some fabled race--one of the Amazons, or Rhine maidens, or Norse queens for whom knights couched their lances. It was useless to compare her to any one of the girls about Kennedy Square, for she had nothing in common with any one of them. Was it because she was unhappy among her own people that she had thus exiled herself from her home, or had some love-affair blighted her life?

Or could it be, as Fred had suggested, that she was willing to undergo all these discomforts and privations simply for love of her art? As this possible solution of the vexing problem became established in his mind, with the vision of Margaret herself before him, the blood mounted to his cheeks and an uncontrollable thrill of enthusiasm swept over him.

He could forgive her anything if this last motive had really controlled and shaped her life.

Had he seen the more closely and with prophetic vision, he would have discerned, in this Norse queen with the golden hair, the mother of a long line of daughters, who, in the days to follow, would hang their triumphant shields beside those of their brothers, winning equal recognition in salon and gallery and conferring equal honor on their country.

But Oliver's vision was no keener than that of anyone else about him. It was only the turn of Margaret's head that caught the young student's eye and the wealth of her brown-gold hair. With the future he had no concern.

What attracted him most of all in this woman who had violated all the known traditions of Kennedy Square, was a certain fearlessness of manner--an independence, a perfect ingenuousness, and a freedom from any desire to interest the students in herself.

When she looked at any one of them, it was never from under drooping eyelids, as Sue would have done, nor with that coquettish, alluring glance to which he had always been accustomed. She looked straight at them with unflinching eyes that said, "I can trust you, and WILL." He had never seen exactly that look except in the portrait of his uncle's grandmother by Sir Peter Lely--the picture he had always loved.

Strange to say, too, the eyes of the portrait were Margaret's eyes, and so was the color of the hair.

No vexed problems entered Margaret's head regarding the very engaging young gentleman who sat behind HER stool. He merely represented to her another student--that was all; the little band was small enough, and she was glad to see the new ones come. She noticed, it is true, certain unmistakable differences--a peculiar, soft cadence in his voice as the words slipped from his lips without their final g's; a certain deference to herself--standing until she regained her seat, an attention which she attributed at first to embarrassment over his new surroundings and to his desire to please. She noticed, too, a certain grace in his movements--a grace that attracted her, especially in the way with which he used his hands, and in the way in which he threw his head up when he laughed; but even these differences ceased to interest her after the first night of their meeting.

But it did not occur to her that he came from any different stock than the others about her, or that his blood might or might not be a shade bluer than her own. What had really impressed her more than anything else--and this only flashed into her mind while she was looking in the glass one night at her own--were his big white teeth, white as grains of corn, and the cleanliness of his hands and nails. She liked these things about him. Some of the fingers that rested on her drawing-board were often more like clothes-pins than fingers, and shocked her not a little; some, too, were stained with acids, and one or more with printer's ink that no soap could remove.

Before the evening was over Oliver became one of the class-room appointments--a young man who sat one stool behind her and was doing fairly well with his first attempt, and who would some day be able to make a creditable drawing if he had patience and application.

At the beginning of the second week a new student appeared--or rather an old one, who had been laid up at home with a cold. When Oliver arrived he found him in Margaret's seat, his easel standing where hers had been. He had a full-length drawing of the Milo--evidently the work of days--nearly finished on his board. Oliver was himself a little ahead of time--ahead of either Margaret or Fred, and had noticed the new-comer when he entered, the room being nearly empty. Jack Bedford was already at work.

"Horn," Jack cried, and beckoned to Oliver--"see the beggar in Miss Grant's seat. Won't there be a jolly row when she comes in?"

Margaret entered a moment later, her portfolio under her arm, and stood taking in the situation.

Then she walked straight to her former seat, and said, in a firm but kindly tone:

"This is my place, sir. I've been at work here for a week. You see my drawing is nearly done."

The young man looked up. He toiled all day in a lithographer's shop, and these precious nights in the loft were his only glimpses of happiness. He sat without his coat, his shirt-sleeves liberally smeared with the color-stains of his trade.

"Well, it's my place, too. I sat here a week before I was taken sick," he said, in a slightly indignant tone, looking into Margaret's face in astonishment.

同类推荐
  • 金刚能断般若波罗蜜经

    金刚能断般若波罗蜜经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 戏瑕

    戏瑕

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 二谛义

    二谛义

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 艺文

    艺文

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 评复古记

    评复古记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 冷王独宠狂妃

    冷王独宠狂妃

    苏冉汗颜,好好的去上学,突然之间穿越到一个陌生的地方,穿越还好,关键这原主居然是个废材……于是,苏大小姐在这异世开始了她的逆天模式……
  • 启境

    启境

    人生须臾,天命可违!.…………………………
  • 九世情缘汐翎相伴

    九世情缘汐翎相伴

    人常说相爱容易相守难。为何,世间没有你我容身之地呢?我从来不信命,也从不向命运低头汐儿,我心悦你,你可感觉的到汐儿,纵然世人都厌恶我,嫌弃我,但我只需要你陪着我汐儿,你是我人生中唯一的光亮,照亮着我,温暖着我汐儿,听话,好好活着万年的桥首,千年的等待才换来与你片刻的相伴,我不信命,但每次都被命运所束缚,你告诉我,你喜欢自由,但我终是捆住了你。如果再给我一次机会,我不知会有怎样的选择每一世聚散离别会碰撞出怎样的火花,让大家敬请期待吧!
  • 重生抄动漫

    重生抄动漫

    姓名:陆格外貌:女性别:男(万幸)重生在另一个平行世界,这个世界没有倭国,那就抄抄漫画,制作几个恋爱文字游戏,写几首相关的音乐吧。......新书《女友有个系统》
  • 鬼帝绝宠:皇叔你行不行

    鬼帝绝宠:皇叔你行不行

    前世她活的憋屈,做了一辈子的小白鼠,重活一世,有仇报仇!有怨报怨!弃之不肖!她是前世至尊,素手墨笔轻轻一挥,翻手为云覆手为雨,天下万物皆在手中画。纳尼?负心汉爱上她,要再求娶?当她什么?昨日弃我,他日在回,我亦不肖!花痴废物?经脉尽断武功全无?却不知她一只画笔便虐你成渣……王府下人表示王妃很闹腾,“王爷王妃进宫偷墨宝,打伤了贵妃娘娘…”“王爷王妃看重了,学仁堂的墨宝当场抢了起来,打伤了太子……”“爱妃若想抢随她去,旁边递刀可别打伤了手……”“……”夫妻搭档,她杀人他挖坑,她抢物他递刀,她打太子他后面撑腰……双重性格男主萌萌哒
  • 九十九只彩线娃娃

    九十九只彩线娃娃

    《九十九只彩线娃娃》为“微阅读1 1工程”系列丛书之一,精选了微型小说作者(吕保军)长期创作的精品作品,集结成书。本书作者用朴实无华的笔触,从一个个温暖感人的小故事中,讲述了人间的真、善、美。情节生动,笔调幽默,立意新颖、情节严谨、结局新奇。读者可以从一个点、一个画面、一个对比、一声赞叹、一瞬间之中,捕捉住了小说的一种智慧、一种美、一个耐人寻味的场景,一种新鲜的思想。
  • 错误养成法

    错误养成法

    只想玩养成,不想要朝廷!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • 遗物术秘

    遗物术秘

    四千年前,大禹制九鼎以定国,分派九州,由九人分别看管,后这九人纷纷从九鼎内感悟出区别于地球传统‘道法’的新术法,血脉也被鼎改造成了特殊血脉,籍此发展成了九个庞大的家族。这术法初期不及道法,但依旧凭着诡异与多变,以及九个家族的团结,与道教分庭抗礼,在王朝更迭中保持昌盛不灭,为每一任帝王重用。直到秦朝,“秦家”天才子弟秦时月,将九鼎之一融入了体内,炼成本命战斗遗器,将新术法的威力提升到了超越道法的程度,自称新术法为遗物术。秦时月野心强大,手段毒辣,秦家凭他强大起来,为求独霸天下,秦家在秦时月的率领下,向其他八大家族发难,抢夺八鼎,爆发大战·······
  • 铠甲勇士之拳王

    铠甲勇士之拳王

    拳王马天皓穿越到了铠甲勇士的世界,面对强大的异能兽,马天皓表示自己压力山大。不过老天待他不薄,让他绑定了一个最强铠甲系统,从此,马天皓携带系统在铠甲勇士的世界里混得风生水起。
  • 深入君心

    深入君心

    苏临笙不知道自己还在娘胎的时候,就被许给了东临第一大将军。*初次见面,一场误会,她心生警惕“此人琢磨不透,离远点好。”*听闻他箭术精湛,令敌人闻风丧胆她笑言:“这将军莫不是妖怪?”某战神将军:“……”*后来,她机关算尽,却不曾想到会把自己算到他身边成了他得力的军师他笑意深深:“苏军事深得我心。”*再后来,她发现自己到哪里,哪里都有他她眼神狐疑:“你莫不是算命的?”他哭笑不得,敲她的额角“你就没想过,我是你夫君?”她:“……”