Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-06-18
00lOreester 4ailp Spp.
From Blackwood.
MRS, BEAUCHAMP's VENGEANCE.

shape on the canvass.
Charming" said the painter, sweeping a
bold line down the hair.
Nothing could be prettier than the young
widow, whose features he was intently perus-
ing, while her atfianced second husband was
YEARLY perusing the Times trying to extract
mental nutriment from offers of desirable fam.
lily mansions, selt-acting booUacks, and art-
cles OF common use and uncommon names !;
occasionally interested by the appeal to a run.
away husband, who was earnestly implored to
return to his disconsolate family and duns but
feeling, on the whole, a anguid interest in the
ninety six columns OF information Mr.
Smythe Briggs, the gentleman in question:
was an ornament to the Corn Exchange, but
his views of art were not lofty, and his inter
est in this portrait of his "intended" simply
showed itself in not unreasonable Impotence
to see it finished. In vain his friend tried
to rouse "a nobler enthusiasm" 1t wouldn't
do. Briggs was not enthusiastic-and he
wanted TO get married. Until the portrait
was finished the marriage was not to take
place. Mrs. Beauchamp had said so and
what Mrs. Beauchamp said she meant.
Now don't know whether you agree with
Brggs-tI do)-that sitting by, while por.
trait is being taken, is one of the least tialter-
ing and eXhilarating OF positions. You are
so obviously playing dummy. 1t is not your
noble features that are being contemplated ;
and if you are at all jealousy dispose d, ii is
not very pleasant TO sit by and see another
man scrutinsing the features which you re-
gard as peculiarly your own. Suppose you
moi to be of jealous disposition, the situation
then becomes very tatguing. You feel that
you are outside the real business and interest OF
the scene. You are playing propriety," and
perhaps both the others wish you away.
Briggs was not jealous, but he was bored.
He had made some novel observations respect
ing the weather and foreign affairs, sprinkled
with personal details as to purchases lie had
made, or intended to make he had read the
Times and he had for the fifteenth time lcok-
ed at all the oil paintings, sketches, casts and
odds and ends, i'll the atelier and now there
seemed bothing left to do, unless Rackit sug.
gested that he should step up stairs and see
his sister
"Is your sister at home 2" said Briggs, ca
gerly catching at the offered relief "1hen
I'll step up. Meanwhile, old fellow, do be as
quick as you can. Let it be a speaking like
ness, but never mind about chiaroscuro, and all
that, you know"
"He's dreadfully bored - laughed the widow,
as Briggs left the atelier.
as he jealous 2"
jealous of whom ?''
"Why-your head little more this way
he doesn't seem to like my having to look at
you so intently. AS if man with eyes to
see, a soul to appreciate-. You have moved
again If it has been wearisome to him to be
present at these sittngs--delicious sittings !
why doesn't he keep away? l don't want
him. His presence irritates met stiles my
emotions
as portrait painting then so Uery agitat.
ing" asked the widow, with an arch smile,
and pretending not to understand him. II
thought it was quite mechanical"
$50 it is with other sitters."
There was pause. He felt that he Lad
said too much, he bss"n ~iso-e~sis-r -:---
ing. ---
Charles Rackit was not an r. A., not even
an A. r. A.; but he was painter OF fervid
genius, l have been told (by HIMSELF and he
was | observed, a man of fiighty imagination,
and not very sedate habits He wore very
long hair, and took extremely long credit.
Bills he considered TO be proofs OF the egot-
ism OF our age" He was generally eloquent
on ''our age, speaking as if he were intimate.
ly acquainted with other ages and COM
planned loudly of the "prosaisms OF the day."
which robbed life of its romance. In an I'M
guarded moment l once asked him whether
romance was really indispensable to existence?
A look was his reply.
He liked me, though he said / was "uttery
respectable - aud liked him. though l could
have wished to see him less unsettled as |
once remarked.
Unsettled" he replied at is true, am
unsettled so is the eagle! p
1t was not clear to me how the habits Of
eagles could serve as eXempars TO portrait.
painters
"The polype," he continued, dashing the
long hair back from his tace-"the polype is
settled. Go and admire it. There it is, fixed
IN If tl,o
noble tumult of lfe"
AT | knew nothing of the domestic economy
OF polypes, and had but the dimmest percep-
ton OF what bearing they could have on the
present question, beyond the very obvious
proposition that he, Rackit, was not polype,
/ was silent. He fancied he had answered
me.
Having given this glimpse of the painter,
let us return 10 his aeer, and the scene which
is being acted there. He is still painting ST.
lently, and feeling every moment his embar-
rassment increase; but observing that Mrs.
Beauchamp seems quite calm, he resumes the
interrupted conversation.
Il said that it was mechanical work, in
general, painting the portraits of ordinary
people. But the soul has its sympathies-its
finer instincts"
Not distinctly comprehending the full sig
nifcance of the proposition, Mrs. Beauchamp
merely smiled, and said, ''Oh, yes"
He quilted the easel, and said, as he ap.
preached her, "Your shoulder is little too
advanced your hand should be here"
He took her hand but instead of placing
it in the eninently desirable position, he held
it lingering in his.
"Ihere?" she said, with an arch SMILE
which quickly broke out into ringing laugh
Rackit felt ridiculous, so letting the hand
fall, he returned to his easel.
"What an original you are p said the laugh
ing, wicked widow.
"Woud you have me stone when a god
dess sits to me 60
Don't he neurological, please" she said !;
81 would rather you would be serious than
throw Lempriere's Dictionary at my head.
II am serious" he replied. "People think
me gay and careless. It's mistake. By ma
ture l am profoundly serious-the income tax
not more So"
To this Mrs. Beaucbamp made no reply.
~ should have thought" he continued,
"that you would have better understood me-"
"Surely," she said, sit was the kindest
thing l could do, not to understand you"
"What do you mean Z"
"Nay, you will force me to ask you what
you mean"
"And Tiff were to speak plainly"
'ln that case should be forced to remind
you of a detail, a trifiing detail which you
seem to have forgotten"
"And that is 90
She hesitated a moment; then looked fixed
ly at him, said:
Mr.. Smythe Briggs is your friend"
II know i, passionately exclaimed Rackit
know it but too well''
GU seem TO have forgotten it, though"
Never, not for one instan.. Don't be of.
tended with me- know you belong to an.
other-are about TO belong to him. l know
you can never be mine
"Mr Rackit!"