The world enters into the
artist's studio, and scornfully bids him a price for his genius, or makes
dull pretence to admire it. What know you of his art? You cannot read the
alphabet of that sacred book, good old Thomas Newcome! What can you tell
of its glories, joys, secrets, consolations? Between his two best-beloved
mistresses, poor Clive's luckless father somehow interposes; and with
sorrowful, even angry protests. In place of Art the Colonel brings him a
ledger; and in lieu of first love, shows him Rosey.
No wonder that Clive hangs his head; rebels sometimes, desponds always:
he has positively determined to refuse to stand for Newcome, Ridley says.
Laura is glad of his refusal, and begins to think of him once more as of
the Clive of old days.
CHAPTER LXVI
In which the Colonel and the Newcome Athenaeum are both lectured
At breakfast with his family, on the morning after the little
entertainment to which we were bidden, in the last chapter, Colonel
Newcome was full of the projected invasion of Barnes's territories, and
delighted to think that there was an opportunity of at last humiliating
that rascal.
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