Not a wink of sleep for me to-night--never mind!" Here Valentine suddenly shut the door, then as suddenly opened it again, and added, "I mean to finish that infernal horse-picture to-morrow, and go to the circus again in the evening." With these words he vanished; and they heard him soon afterwards whistling his favorite "Drops of Brandy," in the rectory garden.
"Cracked! cracked!" cried the doctor.

"Dear old Valentine!" "I'm afraid his principles are very loose," said Mrs.Joyce, whose thoughts still ran on the unlucky professional allusion to Jezebel's legs.
The next morning, when Mr.Blyth presented himself at the stables, and went on with the portrait of the cover-hack, the squire had no longer the slightest reason to complain of the painter's desire to combine in his work picturesqueness of effect with accuracy of resemblance.
Valentine argued no longer about introducing "light and shade," or "keeping the background subdued in tone." His thoughts were all with the deaf and dumb child and Mrs.Peckover; and he smudged away recklessly, just as he was told, without once uttering so much as a word of protest.
By the evening he had concluded his labor.

The squire said it was one of the best portraits of a horse that had ever been taken: to which piece of criticism the writer of the present narrative is bound in common candor to add, that it was also the very worst picture that Mr.Blyth had ever painted.
On returning to Rubbleford, Valentine proceeded at once to the circus; placing himself, as nearly as he could, in the same position which he had occupied the night before.
The child was again applauded by the whole audience, and again went through her performance intelligently and gracefully, until she approached the place where Valentine was standing.

She started as she recognized his face, and made a step forward to get nearer to him; but was stopped by Mr.Jubber, who saw that the people immediately in front of her were holding out their hands to write on her slate, and have her cards dealt round to them in their turn.

The child's attention appeared to be distracted by seeing the stranger again who had kissed her hand so fervently--she began to look confused--and ended by committing an open and most palpable blunder in the very first trick that she performed.
The spectators good-naturedly laughed, and some of them wrote on her slate, "Try again, little girl." Mr.Jubber made an apology, saying that the extreme enthusiasm of the reception accorded to his pupil had shaken her nerves; and then signed to her, with a benevolent smile, but with a very sinister expression in his eyes, to try another trick.