in its
way. Avice, who has seen scores of FETES in college grounds, much
preferred the scenery, etc., in their natural state to a crowd of
strangers. The young people took possession of the two girls, and
when we all met for the five o'clock tea, before going home, Lady
Georgina eagerly told her father that Miss Fulford had made out the
subject of 'that picture.' It was a very beautiful Pre-Raffaelite,
of a lady gathering flowers in a meadow, and another in
contemplation, while a mysterious shape was at the back; the ladies
stiff-limbed but lovely faced, and the flowers--irises, anemones,
violets, and even the grass-blossom, done with botanical accuracy.
A friend of Lord Hollybridge had picked it up for him in some
obscure place in Northern Italy, and had not yet submitted it to an
expert. Avice, it appeared, had recognised it as representing Leah
and Rachel, as Action and Contemplation in the last books of Dante's
PURGATORIO, with the mystic griffin car in the distance. Our hosts
were very much delighted; we all repaired to the picture, where she
very quietly and modestly pointed out the details. A Dante was
hunted up, but Lady Hollybridge and I were the only elders who knew
any Italian, and when the catalogue was brought, Avice knew all the
names of the translators, but as none were to be found, Lord
Hollybridge asked if she would make him understand the passage,
which she did, blushing a little, but rendering it in very good
fluent English, so that he thanked her, and complimented her so much
that she was obliged to answer that she had got it up when they were
hearing some lectures on Dante; and besides it was mentioned by
Ruskin; whereupon she was also made to find the reference, and mark
both it and Dante.

"I like that girl," said the old Governor-General, "she is
intelligent and modest both. There is something fine about the
shape of her head."

When we went home, Metelill was as proud and delighted as possible
at what she called the Bird's triumph; but Avice did not seem at all
elated, but to take her knowledge as a mere outcome of her ordinary
Oxford life, where allusions, especially Ruskinese and Dantesque,
came naturally. And then, as grandmamma went to sleep in her
corner, the two girls and I fell into a conversation on that whole
question of Action and Contemplation. At least Metelill asked the
explanation, but I doubt whether she listened much while Avice and I
talked out the matter, and I fel