Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-01-08
THE UNREDEENED PLEDGE.
lBelgravial
CHAPTER I.


proudly. and he turned slowly TO meet
her indignant eyes.
"You see, madam, he said, averting
his gaze Immediately, "these things are
rather in the chrome style, and fat
babies ere somewhat at discount Just
now-advance of civilization, popular
education, you know--true art. they tell
me" this deprecatingly) "has to do
with decay and death. We really have no
demand for those robust compositions
something slighter in texture. more
ethereal in tone, more, in short, cGdG-
Uereux, would suit us better. Still, il
you care TO leave the picture with us, we
can see what can be done with it"
"Thank you, il does not matter" the
girl said, hurriedly taking up the can
vas, as she did so glancing sorrowfully
ct the face which smiled at her from it ;
nothing betrayed her agitation except a
slight tremor in her hands, and the
dealer looked admiringly at them. They
were small and delicately gloved, evi-
IDENTITY the hands Of lady. He changed
his tone Immediately.
Perhaps We could arrange something
for you, madam there are good points
in the study there is much truth OF
value in that side light, for instance, but
the emotional tendency Of the whole is
h'm-ah-a little too cheerful. The dim
pie there is too obtrusively merry, the
smile toe broad. the eyes too"
He stopped, astonished I; the girl had
not waited for him 10 complete his SEN
tence, but had walked out OF the door,
leaving her critic staring blankly at the
marks left by her wet boots on tho floor.
They were pretty little feet, he could
see. and the peculiar print OF the sole
reminded him of the way in which his
daughter who had died young had
walked. always with her toes turned a
little in. The girl was about her age,
too-not more than eighteen. He might
have taken her picture.
He felt weakly uncomfortable, the
tall, slight figure in the gray waterproof,
IN spite of It's proud carriage, had looked
strangely pathetic, and he was haunted
by glimpse he had caught OF two sOr-
rOwful eyes-evcs like those OF his daugh-
ter in their sweet wistfulness. He started
n moment after when he seemed to meet
those identical eyes gazing at him from a
picture on the opposite wall, and he
crossed the shop and bent over the
canvas TO examine it more carefully.
Ii was Madonna and Child by
AgOstinO Carrccci, ono he had pur-
chased at Christie's few days
before. and which had mp to this
time afforded him the gratihcltion it Is
given TO man 10 enjoy when he has done
q good stroke of business. Now, how
ever, il increased his sense OF discomfort (;
be saw on the Virgins countenance the
same expression as that which had rested
on the girls face when she looked down
~ her picture the child, too, bore some
resemblance TO the baby which had called
forth It's criticism, though its expression
of weakness had not appeared III the
sturdy life he had condemned.
The dealer was a shrewd man OF bust
ness his aesthetic tastes carefully de-
veloped according 10 the latest canons of
modern art he could at a glance dis
criminate between q Glorgione and
Coreggio, but his acumen failed him
when 1t became a question OF the IN
forming spirit of a picture OF the reform
ing spirit of Bond street. Poetry OF con-
ccption he subordnated to adherence to
fashionable rule, and his artistic ideals
were at ebb or flow according TO the
position of the luminary which at the
moment ruled in the aesthetic tirma-
ment. he knew when to take occasion
by the hand, yet, in spite of a firm be-
lief IN his business faculty, he had an I'M
pleasant conviction that in this case he
had been as blind as tho sightless
Joseph in the picture before him not
10 have purchased the work Just offered
10 him. 1t was no pecuniary loss TO
himself that he regretted, but the miss
ing of an opportunity of securing a Gus
toner in the lady who had Just left him.
She was lady, he was convinced every
detail of dress, accent, and manner testi-
fed TO her refinement, and 1t had not
appeared that necessity had driven her
to sell her work and she was like the
Matte He went TO the door and looked
up the street 10 see If she was still in
sight a steady rain was falling, driving
passengers TO the shelter Of cabs and
omnibuses, but the pavements were 10y
no means deserted, and ii was i'm
possible to distinguish any particular
figure in the procession of umbrellas
passing along, and the dealer returned,
feeling chilly as well as uneasy, to meet
the haunting eyes OF the Madonna again.
Meanwhile Madeline Vivien, her can
vas under her cloak. was walking rapidly
through the rain all the pride had gone
from her manner and there was nothing
but despair on the white face she turned
10 the gray skies. Size was tired and
hungry as well as despairing. for all the
morning she had been walking from
place TO place in vain effort to sell the pie
ture upon which she depended for the
next months means Of subsistence.
Her feet almost refused TO bear her,
hut she trudged on bravoiy, for the few
coins still remaining would be needed TO
buy food for the baby at home, and
riding, even in an omnibus, had become
too expensive a luxury. When she at
last climbed the stairs OF the attic she
called home the August evening had
begun 10 close in. Wet and weary as
she Was, a smile broke over her face as
she heard the COO of baby voice, and
she opened tho door and met her boy
with the sunny face she had been aceus-
toned TO see.
LAYING down canvas and hat and cloak
she took him up, rosy aud laughing, IN
her arms, and forgot her WEAKNESS IN
the divine solace OF Motherhood. IL
the dealer had been there he would have
needed no artistic insight to enable him
70 identify the original of the picture he
had criticised so severely.
lie would have seen also that mother
and child were strikingly alike. Diyested
OF hat and veil the girl appeared almost
too young TO be a mother, yet 10 one
could question the relationship existing
between the occupants OF the attic.
There were the same thickly-yeiled eyes,
the same laughing red mouth, the same
merry dimple in each, and none but a
mother could have talked the tender
nonsense which Madeline was repeating
20 the child.
She put him down by-and-by and be-
gan to light a fire, homely task, out Of
keeping with the delicacy Of her appear
ance. The room was full of sharp con-
trasts, Rembraudetsque shadows throw
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