14^ ECHOES OF OLD COUNTY LIFE. 



father answered, " That if Sir Walter had had a hundredth 

 part of the entertainment that the perusal of his 

 charming writings had given to himself, he would 

 indeed have been pleased." Sir Walter, shaking my 

 father by the hand, warmly thanked him for his ex- 

 pressions of appreciation, and patted me on the head, 

 saying he hoped I should grow up to be a good man ; 

 then his daughter kissed me, and the carriage rolled on 

 to its destination. 



Some years ago I was very intimate with Vernon 

 Heath, who achieved great success as a photographic 

 artist, not only in portraiture, but chiefly in his magnifi- 

 cent studies of trees and landscape scenery. Vernon 

 Heath was a nephew of ]\Ir. Robert Vernon, who be- 

 queathed his wonderful collection of pictures of British 

 art to the nation. I occasionally visited at Mr. Vernon's 

 residence, at 50, Pall Mall, and heard several anecdotes 

 relating to him and his pictures. One of his best pictures 

 was by his friend Turner, the Golden Branch I think 

 it is called ; in the foreground there is a female figure 

 with a sickle in her hand. This picture was placed over 

 the mantel-piece in the breakfast-room, and one morning 

 Vernon Heath remarked to his uncle " that the figure 

 was moving." The owner laughed and made light of it, 

 but next morning Vernon Heath again said," I am sure 

 it is moving and has moved " ; with that he mounted 

 some steps and discovered that the figure had curled up 

 and was nearly detached from the picture. Old Mr. 

 Vernon, in a rage, summoned Turner at once. When 

 the great artist arrived, he coolly got on to the steps, and 

 with his fingers pulled the figure off the picture. He 



