The color began to rise again in her cheek; a thoughtful expression stole calmly over her clear, happy eyes; she played nervously with the port-crayon that held her black and white chalk; looked attentively at the drawing; and, smiling very prettily at some fancy of her own, proceeded assiduously with her employment, altering and amending, as she went on, with more than usual industry and care.
What was Madonna thinking of?
If she had been willing, and able, to utter her thoughts, she might have expressed them thus: "I wonder whether he likes my drawing?
Shall I try hard if I can't make it better worth pleasing him?
I will! it shall be the best thing I have ever done.
And then, when it is nicely finished, I will take it secretly to Mrs.
Blyth to give from me, as my present to Zack." "Look there," said Valentine, turning from his picture towards Madonna, "look, my boy, how carefully that dear good girl there is working from the Antique! Only copy her example, and you may be able to draw from the life in less than a year's time." "You don't say so?
I should like to sit down and begin at once.

But, look here, Blyth, when you say 'draw from the life,' there can't be the smallest doubt, of course, about what you mean--but, at the same time, if you would only be a little less professional in your way of expressing yourself--" "Good heavens, Zack, in what barbarous ignorance of art your parents must have brought you up! 'Drawing from the life,' means drawing the living human figure from the living human being which sits at a shilling an hour, and calls itself a model." "Ah, to be sure! Some of these very models whose names are chalked up here over your fireplace ?--Delightful! Glorious! Drawing from the life--just the very thing I long for most.

Hullo!" exclaimed Zack, reading the memoranda, which it was Mr.Blyth's habit to scrawl, as they occurred to him, on the wall over the chimney-piece--"Hullo! here's a woman-model; 'Amelia Bibby'-- Blyth! let me dash at once into drawing from the life, and let me begin with Amelia Bibby." "Nothing of the sort, Master Zack," said Valentine.

"You may end with Amelia Bibby, when you are fit to study at the Royal Academy.

She's a capital model, and so is her sister, Sophia.