THE LAKE OF THE FAIRIES. 145 



surface, Ward went on sketching, and, as he said, 

 thinking it only natural if a fair water-nymph should 

 rise to the surface, and in liquid Gaelic invite him 

 to a bath. 



By the side of this gem in the wilderness we 

 rested some time, and Ward sketched the fair 

 outlines ; but he said that his art failed in giving 

 the metallic hues of green and purple. 



" I remember, Hope, of Mr. M - speaking to 

 me about that very same matter of vivid colour." 



" Ah ! what did he say ? He is real authority." 



" Well, it came about in this way. I was with 

 him while he painted the rugged walls and quaint 

 window of an old castle for one of his figure- 

 pieces, and made remark on the bright colours he was 

 deliberately touching in, to picture what appeared, 

 to a common observer like myself, to be simply a 

 grey old wall ; but he distinctly showed me in the 

 wall itself all these varieties of tint and shade." 



" Just the man to note them ; and what did he 

 say about vivid colour ? " 



" That it was an error to decry bright colour in 

 painting from its mere brightness, as vulgar and 

 gaudy effects came from false taste and incongruous 

 handling ; that the real difficulty was to colour UP 



L 



