Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-06-09
Continued.


hearted? Do not shrink from tell
really to know"
The dean is thoroughly good and
kind" said Claude, refectively, Sab
sent and Indifferent in many things,
and engrossed a good deal by his IA
vorite hobby, astronomy; but l have
never seen him otherwise than kind
and courteous
And is he fond Of Esperance?"
Il can not tell, but l think he must
be. / remember, too, l met them out
walking together one day"
Gaspard was pleased and relieved,
and inquired after the other members
of the family.
Il really can not tell what they are
like" said Claude, hesitatingly.
Mrs. Mortlake varies a great deal.
Usually she is one Of those would-be
gracious ladies, whom one rather
distrusts; she is quite devoted to her
little girl, though. l know little Of
the other daughters; the elder is
very learned and the chief confdante
of her father, the younger very silent
and Indifferent"
Gaspard sat mus;ng over this ac-
count of the family at the deanery,
and Claude, fearing that a further
catechism might elicit more than
Esperance wished her brother to
know, rose to take leave, not how
ever before he had given Gaspard his
address at st. Johns Wood, and made
him promise to visit him very soon.
The next week brought a letter
from Esperance, but it was no CON-
fort to Gaspard, for though, still,
she would not give words to her COM
plant, the tone of the letter was
bitter and DISCONTINUED. Only one
sentence was there in the whole sheet
to which Gaspard cared to revert; it
was the following:
Il think Of you so often in your
loneliness, mon ami and am very glad
Mr.. Magnay has made you a visit.
He was very kind to me here, or
really ] think I should have ceased to
believe in any kind of goodness. Ril-
chester is like stagnant water in the
ruined fountain at Mabillon, when it
got frozen over in the winter, and
the people are like the unhappy, stiff
looking water-lilies.
Gaspard folded the letter sadly
enough, then, anxious to escape from
his own thoughts, and partly remind
ed by Esperance's references, he set
out to pay his promised call On
Claude Magnay.
Having found his house-a large
and rather gloomy one, with a nor
them aspect-Gaspard was rshared
upstairs by a Neutrality-suspicious.
little page to the studio, where he
found Claude hard at work finishing
one Of his Scotch pictures.
y am afraid 7 have come at busy
time said Gaspard. "You must
forgive an idle man for his want of
consideration"
Claude had seemed scarcely to no
tice his entrance-it was but for p
moment, however. Gaspard had not
finished his sentence before he had
thrown down his brushes M mahl-
stick, and FASTENED forward.
Il am so glad you have come 40,
indeed, I am not busy, only I did not
hear You announced. Either that
young monkey of a page was afraid
of your foreign name or else 1 was
dreaming over that Scotch water
fall
That was it, evidently" replied
Gaspard, smiling
"For you would have been amused to
hear your boys version of my name
Dull Middle on "
Claude laughed heartily.
That boy really surpasses! II
YOU knew the pranks he is up to, I
only keep him because of his face
substitute wings for buttons, and you
have the most angelic creature.
See!' and he pointed to a canvas on
one Of his easels. 81 have him in
progress now, wings and all, with
background of clouds. 1t would be
delightful to have him in next years
Academy-No. 131, Master John
Jcnesl I declare I will do it.
Gaspard laughed. There was some
thing so novel to him in the whole
proceeding that he quite forgot his
troubles. and sat listening amusedly
to Claude, who was in high spirits
after a long days work, and kept up
a continuous flow of talk There was
a certain charm, too. about the curl
ous room. which was half studio.
DIV
and bachelor-like in the extreme;
was irregular in the extreme !;
high-backed chairs. an antique mir
rcr, and a carved oak table, were
strangely mingled with modern appli-
ances, while coIors of every descrip-
tion were to be found in an unwar-
rantable number OF curtains and rugs,
the latter relieving the stained and
polished floor. Claude. in his loose
working jacket and red smoking-cap,
furnished another incogruous ele-
ment, and Gaspard could scarcely
believe that this light-hearted fellow
could be the presiding genius of the
place, and the creator, as it were, Of
the wealth of pictures scattered all
over the room.
He asked leave to look at some of
them, and Claude's wistful gravity at
once returned. while, with no pre-
tense of mock humility, but rather
with the fondness of a parent, he ex-
hibited his works.
Two or three of his Rilchester pic
lures, not vet framed. were standing