The young artist kept by her side, telling her the subjects of the paintings, and relating many instances connected with them.
At length they came to a corner where there stood an easel, upon which there was a picture covered with a green cloth.
Mr. Sherbrooke removed the covering, simply saying:
“This is the picture that I particularly wished to show you.”
It was quite a large painting, and represented a young man and maiden standing on board a steamer, while silver-tipped waves and a deep blue sky formed a charming background for their youthful figures.
The former stood in an eager attitude, with one hand extended, a smile on his handsome lips, a gleam of wistful admiration in his honest brown eyes, while his companion seemed to be clipping a tress from a massive braid of shining golden hair that hung over her shoulders.
The fair young girl was a faithful representation of Star as she had appeared on that day, which they both remembered so vividly, and in the act of severing that lock at his request. She stood with drooping eyes, a flush on her cheek, a half-smile on her beautiful scarlet lips, a shy and modest grace in her posture, while her slender fingers daintily held braid and scissors.
Archibald Sherbrooke watched her as she gazed upon his picture, his heart in his earnest glance; while Star, although her eyes were riveted as if fascinated upon the familiar scene, could not say one word regarding it.
He had made her very, very lovely, with that sheen upon her hair, those soft, bright curls lying low upon her forehead, which gleamed beneath them like purest ivory; with those half-averted eyes, in which the iris was just discernible, so richly blue,
* * “As if the sky let fall