THE PIRATES OF SEGXA. 309 



patiently awaiting a voluntary explanation of this 

 unwonted vehemence in his beloved teacher, who, 

 seated in his arm-chair, leaned his head upon his hand, 

 and seemed lost in thought. 



And now again for some time was the deep still- 

 ness of the studio interrupted only by the strokes of 

 Antonio's charcoal, which, unlike his rapid and fever- 

 ish efforts when sketching the old woman, were now 

 subdued and tranquil. As he gazed into the upraised 

 and pleading eyes of the beautiful Magdalen, his ex- 

 citement gradually yielded to the pacifying influence 

 of her mute and eloquent sorrow. This salutary 

 change escaped not the observation of Contarini, 

 whose benevolent features softened as he gazed upon 

 these tokens of a better spirit in his pupil 



" I rejoice to see, Antonio," he began, " that you 

 already feel, however imperfectly, the soothing and 

 hallowed influence of the Beautiful in Art and Mature, 

 and the peril to soul and body of delighting in imag- 

 inary forms of horror. If you indulge these cravings 

 of a distempered fancy, you will sink to the base 

 level of those Flemish artists who delight in painting 

 witches and demons, and in all fabulous and mon- 

 strous forms. You, who are nobly born, devoted to 

 poetry and fine art, and possess manifest power in 

 portraiture, should aim at the Heroic in painting. 

 Make this your first and steadfast purpose. Devote 

 to it your life and soul ; and, should the power to 

 reach this elevation be wanting, you may still achieve 



