making a mistake. Meantime I live like the rook and the thrush. They never
pray, they praise, they sing 'grace before meat' and after it, as Nature
taught them."

"A simple child of Nature--beautiful spectacle," said Brady. "But I'm sorry
all the same," he continued, "that you've found nothing in Cornwall to keep
you here and make you do some work. You talk an awful deal of rot, but we
want to see you paint. Isn't there anything or anybody worthy of you here?"

"As a matter of face, I've found a girl," said Barron.

There was a clamor of excitement at this news, above which Brady's bull
voice roared approval.

"Proud girl, proud parents, proud Newlyn!" he bellowed.

"The mood ripens too," continued Barren quietly. "'Sacrifice all the world
to mood' is my motto. So I shall stop and paint."

A moment later derisive laughter greeted Barron's decision, for Murdoch, in
answer to a hail of questions, announced the subject of his friend's
inspiration.

"We strolled round this morning and saw Joan Tregenza in an iron hoop with
a pail of water slung at either hand."

"So your picture begins and ends where it is, Barron, my friend; in your
imagination. Did it strike you when you first saw that vision of loveliness
in dirty drab that she was hardly the girl to have gone unpainted till
now?" asked Brady.