Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1850-09-19

rillo wishes he had done it. What touch !!
what delicacy what skill Mendez, my dear
pupil, was it you:"
"No, senor," replied Mendez, in sorrowful
tone.
"Was it you, then, Isturiz, or Ferdinand, or
Carlos p
But they all gave the same reply as Mendez.
1T could not, however, come here without
hands" said Murillo, impatently
81 think sir" said Cordovu, the youngest of
the pupils, shat these strange pictures arc very
aarmng indeed, this is not the first unaccount-
able event which has happened in your studio.
To tell the truth, such wonderful things have
happened here, one knows scarcely what to be-
eve."
"What arc they ?" asked Murillo, still lost in
admiration of the head OF the Virgin by the un-
known artist.
According to your orders, senor," answered
Ferdinand, "we never leave the studio without
putting every thing in order cleaning our pal
etts, washing your brushes, and arranging our
eases; but when we return in the morning, not
only is everything IN confusion, our brushes
filled with paint, our pallets dmied, but here
and there are sketches (beauiiiul sketches to be
sure they are( sometimes of tie head OF an
angel, sometimes of a demon, then again the
profile of young girl or the figure of an old
man, but all ad nrabe, as you hav seen your
self, senor."
"This is certoinly curious affair, gentle
men," observed Murillo, "but we shall soon
learn who is the nightly vistant Sebastian"
he continued, addressing little muatto boy
about fourteen years old, who appeared at his
call, "did | not desire you to sleep here every
night ?"
"Yes, MASTER" said the boy with tmidity
"And have you done SO? p
ayes, master"
"Speak, then: who was here last night and
this morning before these gentlemen came ?
Speak, slave, or | shall make you acquainted
with my dungeon" said Murilo angtily to the
boy, who continued to twist the band OF his
trousers without replying.
"Ah, you don't chose to answer" said Mu-
rillo, pulling his ear.
"No one, master, no one" replied the trem-
bling Sebastian with eagerncss.
This is false" exclaimed Murlo
mo one but me, sware to you, master" -"
cried the mulatto throwing himself on his knees
in the middle of the studio and holding out his
little hands IN sqpPlical!en bef9Ee 9o his master.
know who has skeched this head OF vuo'Sa..
piu. and all tho figures which pupils hnd
every morning here on coming to the studio
This night, In place of going to bed, you shall
keep watch; and if by to morrow you do not
discover who the culprit is, you shall have
twenty five strokes from the lash. You hear i
have said it; now go and grind the colors; and
you, gentlemen, to work"
FROM the commencement till the termination
Of the hour of Instruction, Murillo was too much
absorbed with his pencil to allow word to be
spoken but what regarded their occupation: bu
the moment he disappeared, the pupils made
ample amends for his restraint; and as the
unknown painter occupied all their thoughts, the
conversation naturally turned tp that subject.
"Beware, Sebastian, of the LASH" said Men
dez, "and watch well for the culprlt but give
me the Naples yellow"
'You do not need 1t, Senor Mendez; yol
have made it yellow enough already and as tt
the culprit, have already told you that it is
the Zombi."
care these negroes or foJls asses with thei
= ?" said Gonzalo, laughing; "pray, wha
is Zombi?"
"Oh, an immaglnary being, Of course. Blu
take care, Senor Gonzao," continued Sebastian
with Il mscbieyious glance at his easel, "for
must be the Zombi who has stretched the lef
! arm of your St John to such length, that,
f the right resembles it, he will be able to unit
his shoe strings without stooping,"
| ''Do you know, gentlemen" said Isturtz, a
t he glanced at the painting, 'that the remarks O
, Sebastian are extremely just, and much to th
point"
"Oh, they say that negroes have the face 0
7 an ape and the tongue of aparrot, rejoined Con
zalo, in tone of Indifference.
"With this distinction," observed Ferdinand
t THAT the parrot repeats by rote, while Sebas
tian has judgment in his remarks"
e "Like the parrot, by chance" retorted Con
h zalo.
"Who knows" said Mendez, who had not di
+ gested the Naples yellow, "that, from grindin,
e the colors, he may one day astonsh us by show
ing he knows one from another?"
+ 'To know one color from another. and t
n know how to use them, are two very diferen
things" replied Sebastian, whom the liberty O
z the studio allowed to join in the conversation O
!, the puplls and truth obliges us to confess tba
his taste vas SO exquisite, his eve SO correct
ct that many of them did not disdain to follow tb
lie advice he frequently gave them respecting thei
he paintings. Although they sometimes amuse
o. themselves by teasing the little muatto, he wa
lis great favorito with them all and this evenln,
he on quitting the studio, each giving him frien,
ly tap on the shoulder, counselled him to keen
IS strict watch, and ketch the Zombi, for fear
on the lash.
til 1t was night, and the studio of Murillo, Il
as most celebrated painter in SeviIle-this s,udi
he which during the day was so pleasant and an
Ie, mated-was now silent as the grave. A sing
1t, lamp burned upon marble table, and youI
n. boy, whose sable hue harmonzed with the su
mt rounding darkness, but whose eyes sparked lii
diamonds at midnight, leant against an easel.
oh Immovable and still, he was so deeply absorb
nd in his medtations, that the door of the stud
at was opened by one who several times call
him by name, and who, Oil receiving no answ,
he approached and touched him, Sebastian rais