"Then please to ask him if I may introduce my brother; to make his acquaintance would be quite a trouvaille for Edmund." Mrs. Penton was one of those who like to introduce French words into their conversation. "Gerald and I, not being such worshippers of painting, should be quite exhausted if we attempted to keep pace with him; it is so fatiguing to look up at pictures for any length of time. We have been here more than an hour already, and I do not want to be tired before the afternoon, when we intend to drive in the Cascine to see the beau monde of Florence; so it will be an excellent thing if we can get Edmund and Mr. Blake together, and then I can make Gerald take me home."
Accordingly Mrs. Adair turned to Mr. Blake, who was near to them, examining a picture, and said that Mrs. Penton wished to introduce him to her brother; and Mrs. Penton added, "Edmund will have a double pleasure in making your acquaintance, as Mrs. Adair tells me you are a connaisseur here."
"It is indeed true that I am a warm admirer of the great treasures which Florence contains, but I have no claim to the title of connaisseur. I shall be most happy, however, to be introduced to your brother, and to give him any information I possess about the Florentine galleries,—they are old acquaintances of mine, but strangers, I suppose, to him."
"Yes, it is our first visit to Florence; we only arrived yesterday. Let us go to Edmund!"
They crossed to Mr. Barkley, and his sister—laying her hand upon his shoulder—said, "Edmund, I have just met Mrs. Adair, her daughter, and some friends of theirs, whom I had the pleasure of meeting in Rome. Mr. Blake knows Florence à cœur, I believe, and he kindly says that this knowledge is at your service: Mr. Blake—my brother, Mr. Barkley."
They bowed, and Mr. Barkley said, "I am most grateful for your kind offer, Mr. Blake, and shall gladly avail myself of it."
After a few moments of conversation Mrs. Penton said, "You must speak to the Adairs, Edmund; but first tell me, where is Gerald?"
"I think he went into that room," pointing to the door on the left side of the tribune.
"Will you then take me to my husband, Mr. Blake, while Edmund goes to the Adairs?"