MRS. Soufp.RV/LLE. 29 



But Mary ascertained that the President of the 

 Academy of Painting had just painted a portrait of 

 her father her own dear father, who shortly before 

 had distinguished himself greatly at the battle of 

 Camperdown, been knighted, and made a colonel of 

 Marines, and of whom she was exceedingly proud. 

 Mary was asked to go and see the portrait. She went, 

 and liked it very much, and inquired the price. It was 

 twenty pounds. The temptation was too great. The 

 " something warm for winter " was given up, and in 

 its place Mary became the possessor of her father's 

 likeness. What her mother said to this purchase we 

 do not know, but Mrs. Somerville did not regret it, 

 and the painting is still in the possession of her 

 family a pleasant proof of a daughter's love. 



Mary's new home was very different from the de- 

 lightful old house at Burntisland, with its ivy-covered 

 walls and spacious garden. It was a small house, 

 badly ventilated, situated near a London square, in 

 which Mary could walk, if so inclined. Her husband 

 was away all day, and at first she knew scarcely any 

 one, though after a time she made one or two agree- 

 able acquaintances, in visiting whom she found a little 

 change. But as a rule, she spent much of her time 

 alone, and very naturally she returned to her scientific 

 pursuits. 



Her husband had a very low opinion of the mental 

 power of women, and he had neither knowledge of nor 

 interest in science of any kind; but he did not prevent 



