But Soames gave them no help, sitting with his knees crossed, talking of
the Barbizon school of painters, whom he had just discovered. These were
the coming men, he said; he should not wonder if a lot of money were
made over them; he had his eye on two pictures by a man called Corot,
charming things; if he could get them at a reasonable price he was going
to buy them--they would, he thought, fetch a big price some day.
Interested as they could not but be, neither Mrs. Septimus Small nor
Aunt Hester could entirely acquiesce in being thus put off.
It was interesting--most interesting--and then Soames was so clever
that they were sure he would do something with those pictures if anybody
could; but what was his plan now that he had won his case; was he going
to leave London at once, and live in the country, or what was he going
to do?
Soames answered that he did not know, he thought they should be moving
soon. He rose and kissed his aunts.
No sooner had Aunt Juley received this emblem of departure than a change
came over her, as though she were being visited by dreadful courage;
every little roll of flesh on her face seemed trying to escape from an
invisible, confining mask.
She rose to the full extent of her more than medium height, and said:
"It has been on my mind a long time, dear, and if nobody else will tell
you, I have made up my mind that.
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