Wilderspin now came through the folding-doors, and greeted us in his
usual simple, courteous way. But I saw that he was in trouble. 'The
portrait will look better yet,' he said. 'I always leave the final
glazing till the picture is in the frame.'
After we had thoroughly examined the portrait, we turned to look at a
large canvas upon an easel. Wilderspin had evidently been working
upon it very lately.
'That's "Ruth and Boaz," don't you know?' said Sleaford. 'Finest crop
of barley I ever saw in my life, judgin' from the size of the
sheaves. Barley paid better than wheat last year. So the farmers all
say.'
'Don't look at it,' said Wilderspin. 'I have been taking out part of
Ruth, and was just beginning to repaint her from the shoulders
upwards. It will never be finished now,' he continued with a sigh.
We asked him to allow us to see 'Faith and Love.'
'It is in the next room,' said he, 'but the predella is here on the
next easel. I have removed it from underneath the picture to work
upon.'
'The head of Ruth has been taken out,' said my mother, turning to me:
'but isn't it like an old master? You ought to see the marvellous
Pre-Raphaelite pictures at Mr.
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