" Claudia drew the
wrap round her with dignity, and made no reply; then Ideala laughed and
turned to me. "Certainly your friend," she said, alluding to a young
sculptor who was staying with me, "can 'invest his portraits with
artistic merit.' Claudia's likeness in the Exhibition is capital, and
the fame of it is being noised abroad with a vengeance. But I think
something should be done to stop the little newspaper-boy nuisance: the
reports they spread are quite alarming."
"Ideala, what nonsense are you talking about sculptors and newspaper-
boys?" Claudia exclaimed.
"I'll tell you," said Ideala. "There was a small boy with a big voice
standing at the corner of the market-place this afternoon. He had a
sheaf of evening papers under his arm, and was yelling with much
enthusiasm to an edified crowd:--'Noose of the War! Hawful mutilation
of the dead! Fearful collision in the Channel! Eighty-eight lives lost!
Narrative of survivors! Thrilling details! Shindy in Parl'ment! Hirish
members to the front again! 'Orrible haccident in our own town! The
Lady Claudia's bust!'"
"Ideala, how _dare_ you?"--but just then the carriage stopped, and we
had to get out.
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