Then I went on to tell them how I proposed having a gatehouse erected at the canal bridge, and instal some old pensioner and family in it.
"And how about feeding your colony?" asked Mr. Neville.
"I intend having just a few shops, and shall have one inn; that old place with the big hall, I think it will do as the dining-hall for unmarried artists."
"Where do you propose obtaining the artists you speak of?"
"I don't know yet, but I do not think there will be much difficulty in getting them to come here. I shall try the great art centres first, and then the smaller ones; I shall invite the famous men to stay for as long as they wish, and execute some splendid piece of work for Rudarlia."
"Yes, Victor is going to have his portrait painted in the uniform of each of his regiments; all the paintings will be collected in one building, which will be called The Hall of the King, and I shall be expected to spend so many hours a day there as a dutiful wife." A remark strangely flippant for a newly-married Queen to make.
My mother laughed, which was wrong of her, and said quietly:
"From what I know of the portraits of Royalty, all the works would be so much unlike each other that they would have to bear an identification tablet."
"How nice! I can imagine that I have ever so many different husbands, and so need not get tired of one."
"I can see that this will lead to a family quarrel, so will turn the subject," said Mr. Neville.