Observatory, in a bare room, principally furnished with his own trunks

and papered with his own despicable studies. No man has less taste for

disagreeable duties than myself; perhaps there is only one subject on

which I cannot flatter a man without a blush; but upon that, upon all

that touches art, my sincerity is Roman. Once and twice I made the

circuit of his walls in silence, spying in every corner for some spark

of merit; he, meanwhile, following close at my heels, reading the

verdict in my face with furtive glances, presenting some fresh study for

my inspection with undisguised anxiety, and (after it had been silently

weighed in the balances and found wanting) whisking it away with an open

gesture of despair. By the time the second round was completed, we were

both extremely depressed.

"O!" he groaned, breaking the long silence, "it's quite unnecessary you

should speak!"

"Do you want me to be frank with you? I think you are wasting time,"

said I.

"You don't see any promise?" he inquired, beguiled by some return of

hope, and turning upon me the embarrassing brightness of his eye. "Not

in this still-life here, of the melon? One fellow thought it good."

It was the least I could do to give the melon a more particular

examination; which, when I had done, I could but shake my head. "I am

truly sorry, Pinkerton," said I, "but I can't advise you to persevere."

He seemed to recover his fortitude at the moment, rebounding from

disappointment like a man of india-rubber. "Well," said he stoutly, "I

don't know that I'm surprised. But I'll go on with the course; and throw

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