And as he told
it, in a half sullen kind of way, the heart of the young marquis
glowed within him, and he vowed to himself that Lenorme and no other
should marry his sister. But, lest he should reveal more emotion
than the obvious occasion justified, he restrained speech, and
again silence fell, during which Lenorme was painting furiously.
"Confound it!" he cried at last, and sprang to his feet, but without
taking his eyes from his picture, "what have I been doing all this
time but making a portrait of you, MacPhail, and forgetting what
you were there for! And yet," he went on, hesitating and catching
up the miniature, "I have got a certain likeness! Yes, it must be
so, for I see in it also a certain look of Lady Lossie. Well! I
suppose a man can't altogether help what he paints any more than
what he dreams. That will do for this morning, anyhow, I think,
MacPhail. Make haste and put on your own clothes, and come into the
next room to breakfast. You must be tired with standing so long.
"It is about the hardest work I ever tried," answered Malcolm;
"but I doubt if I am as tired as Kelpie. I've been listening for
the last half hour to hear the stalls flying."
CHAPTER XXIX: AN EVIL OMEN
Florimel was beginning to understand that the shield of the portrait
was not large enough to cover many more visits to the studio.
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