"No, no; you have said it; you shall choose something. Will
you have those vases?" and she pointed to an almost matchless
specimen of old Sevres porcelain.
"They are in too becoming a position to be disturbed," said
Egremont, "and would ill suit my quiet chambers, where a
bronze or a marble is my greatest ornament. If you would
permit me, I would rather choose a picture?"
"Then select one at once," said Lady Marney; "I make no
reservation, except that Watteau, for it was given me by your
father before we were married. Shall it be this Cuyp?"
"I would rather choose this," said Egremont, and he pointed to
the portrait of a saint by Allori : the face of a beautiful
young girl, radiant and yet solemn, with rich tresses of
golden brown hair, and large eyes dark as night, fringed with
ebon lashes that hung upon the glowing cheek.
"Ah! you choose that! Well, that was a great favourite of
poor Sir Thomas Lawrence. But for my part I have never seen
any one in the least like it, and I think I am sure that you
have not."
"It reminds me--" said Egremont musingly.
"Of what you have dreamed," said Lady Marney.
"Perhaps so," said Egremont; "indeed I think it must have been
a dream.
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