red about--I mean why fine statues or pictures, or
anything of that kind, should make one feel half sad and half thoughtful
when one looks at them long.'

'Perhaps because it is a straining after the only true beauty.'

'I must tell Annette that. It was she that said it was so,' said Violet;
'and we wondered Greek statues gave one that feeling, but I see it must
be the reason.'

'What statues have you seen?'

'Those at Wrangerton House. Lord St. Erme is always sending cases
home, and it is such a festival day to go up and see them unpacked, and
Caroline and Annette go and take drawings, and I like to wander about
the rooms, and look at everything,' said Violet, growing talkative on
the theme of home. 'There is one picture I like above all, but that is a
sacred subject, so no wonder it should have that feeling in it.'

'What is it?'

'It is a Madonna,' she said, lowering her voice. 'A stiff old-fashioned
one, in beautiful, bright, clear colouring. The Child is reaching out to
embrace a little cross, and his Mother holds him towards it with such a
sad but such a holy face, as if she foreboded all, and was ready to bear
it.'

'Ah! that Ghirlandajo?'

'That is the name!' cried Violet, enchanted. 'Have you seen it?'

'I saw Lord St. Erme buy it.'

'Do you know Lord St. Erme?' said Violet, rather awe-struck.

'I used to meet him in Italy.'

'We wish so much that he would come home. We do so want to see a poet.'

John smiled. 'Is he never at home?'

'O, no, he has never been at Wrangerton since his father died, twelve
years ago. He does not like the place, so he only comes to London when
he is in England, and papa goes up to meet him on business, but he is
too poetical to attend to it.'

'I should guess that.'

'I have done wrong, said Violet, checking herself; 'I should not have
said that. Mamma told us that we ought never to chatter about his
concerns. Will you, please, not remember that I said it?'

As far as the outer world is concerned, I certainly will not,' said John
kindly. 'You cannot too early learn discretion. So that picture is at
Wrangerton?'

'I am so glad you liked it.'

'I liked it well enough to wish for a few spare hundreds, but it seems
to have afforded no more pleasure to him than it has given to me. I am
glad it is gone where there is some one who can appreciate it.'

'Oh, said Violet,' Matilda knows all about the best pictures. We don't
appreciate, you know, we only like.'

'An