"It must have been a something caught from the spirit of the time. A
stir, an awakening, was taking place in Italy. Dante and Petrarch were
in a few years to think and write. The time had come for a new art."

"I do see the difference between this and those Academy pictures," said
Bettina, "even though it is so queer, and painted in such colors."

"And I," "And I," quickly added Barbara and Margery.

"I think those angels' faces are interesting," continued Barbara. "They
are not all just alike, but look as if each had some thought of his own.
They seem proud of their burden as they hold up the Madonna and Child."

"Oh, nonsense, Barbara! you are putting too much imagination in there,"
exclaimed Malcom. "I think old Cimabue did do something, but it is an
awfully bad picture, after all. There is one thing, though; it is not so
flat as that Academy _Magdalen_. The child's head seems round, and I do
think his face has a bit of expression."

So they looked and chatted on, and took little note of coming and going
tourists, who glanced with curiosity from them to the old dark picture
above, and then back to the fresh, eager, beautiful faces,--the greater
part ever finding in the latter the keener attraction.

"I always have one thought when I look at this," finally said Mr.
Sumner, "that perhaps will be interesting to you, and linger in your
minds. This _Madonna and Child_ seems to form a link and also to mark a
division between all those which went before it in Christian art and all
those that have followed. It is the last Byzantine Madonna and is the
first of the long, noble list which has come from the hands of artists