"I thought she was as near
perfection as any one I ever knew. Excuse me expressing myself so
openly," I said, bowing to Mrs. Flaxman; "but won't you tell me what her
tendency to insanity is; for I believe cranks are a species of madmen, if
I rightly understand what the word implies."

"Over religiosity. Why, really, she used to make me long for martyrdom
when I was a child."

"I did not think a person could so soon outgrow early piety," I said,
dryly.

Hubert colored and said very little more about his mother's early lessons
after that to me; but I could see that his strange indifference
respecting those subjects she held as most important of anything within
reach of humanity pained her deeply.

CHAPTER VII.

EXAMINATION.

Directly Mr. Winthrop had attended to matters at once claiming his
attention on his return, he began to investigate my daily avocations. I
showed him the work already accomplished, so far as it could be seen--the
knitting certainly excepted. My sketches in water colors and oils I
brought out rather timidly for his inspection. Mrs. Flaxman had told me
how severe he was in his criticisms on careless work, and possibly all
through my painting the thought what he might say of what I was doing had
a strong influence on the quality of my work. In some respects, no doubt,
it helped me to paint more carefully and copy more closely from nature;
but, on the other hand, imagination and freedom were restrained; and it
is possible I might have better satisfied him with what I had
accomplished if I had never once thought about his opinion as I worked.
As I carried them into the library that bright early autumn morning, I
felt a shrinking at submitting my pictures, in their imperfection, to
unsympathetic eyes, much as a mother might feel at bringing a deformed
child to a baby show; but I had also a measure of satisfaction, since I
could prove to my guardian that I had not been idle, when I spread before
him copies, more or less defective, of views from his own grounds. The
servants had watched them grow under my pencil and brush with an interest
almost equalling my own; and it was amusing the eagerness which even
Thomas evinced to be painted into a picture, spoiling it very much, to my
mind, by insisting on having on his Sunday clothes.

Mr. Winthrop glanced at them with some surprise as he saw the goodly
heap; then he said: "I will only look to-day at what you have done since
coming here. Mrs. Fla