In the face of Boaz was an expression of surprise,
and his eyes were alight with admiration. The picture was finished
with the exception of the face of Ruth, which was but newly sketched
in. Wilderspin had contrived to make her attitude and even the very
barley-ears in her hand (one of which was dangling between her
slender fingers in the act of falling) express innocent perturbation
and girlish modesty.
II
At length I joined the others, who were standing before the easel,
looking at the predella which, as Wilderspin again took care to tell
us, had been removed from the famous picture of 'Faith and Love' we
were about to see in the next room--'the culmination and final
expression of the Renascence of Wonder in Art.'
'Perhaps it is fortunate,' said he, 'that I happen to be working at
this very time upon the predella, which acts as a key to the meaning
of the design. You will now have the advantage of seeing the predella
before you see the picture itself. And really it would be to the
advantage of the picture if every one could see it under like
circumstances; it would add immensely to the effect of the design.
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