Angelo. Some writers have affirmed that that master aided his pupil in
the drawing of the chief figures in his picture. Raphael tried harder
than he ever had done before to put some of the dramatic vigor and
action of Michael Angelo into the figures here in the lower part of the
_Transfiguration_. The result is that he overdid it. It is not
Raphaelesque; it is an unfortunate composite. The composition is fine;
the quiet glory of heaven in the upper part,--the turbulence of earth in
the lower, are well expressed; but the perfection of artistic effect is
wanting. It is full of beauties, yet it is not beautiful. It has many
defects, yet only a great master could have designed and painted it."

By and by they turned their attention to the _Madonna di Foligno_, and
were especially interested in it as being a votive picture. Margery, who
was very fond of this Madonna, with the exquisite background of angels'
heads, had a photograph of it in her own room at home, and knew the
whole story of the origin of the picture. So she told it at Malcom's
request, her delicate fingers clasping and unclasping each other,
according to her habit, as she talked.

"How true it is that one ought to know the reason why a picture is
painted, all about its painter, and a thousand other things, in order to
appreciate it properly," said Malcom, as they turned to leave the room.

"That is so," replied his uncle. "I really feel," with an apologetic
smile, "that I can do nothing with Raphael. There is so much of him
scattered about everywhere. We will regard this morning's study as only
preliminary, and you must study his pictures by yourselves, wherever you
find them. By the way," and he turned to look back through the doorway,
"you must not forget to come here again to see Domenichino's great
picture. How striking it is! But we must not mix his work with