"Pipes, Goliath!" Rafael said gayly to a little negro with a silver
collar (he spoke to him in his native tongue of Dongola); "and welcome
to our snuggery, my Codlingsby. We are quieter here than in the front of
the house, and I wanted to show you a picture. I'm proud of my pictures.
That Leonardo came from Genoa, and was a gift to our father from my
cousin, Marshal Manasseh: that Murillo was pawned to my uncle by Marie
Antoinette before the flight to Varennes--the poor lady could not
redeem the pledge, you know, and the picture remains with us. As for the
Rafael, I suppose you are aware that he was one of our people. But what
are you gazing at? Oh! my sister--I forgot. Miriam! this is the Lord
Codlingsby."
She had been seated at an ivory pianoforte on a mother-of-pearl
music-stool, trying a sonata of Herz. She rose when thus apostrophized.
Miriam de Mendoza rose and greeted the stranger.
The Talmud relates that Adam had two wives--Zillah the dark beauty;
Eva the fair one. The ringlets of Zillah were black; those of Eva
were golden. The eyes of Zillah were night; those of Eva were morning.
Codlingsby was fair--of the fair Saxon race of Hengist and Horsa--they
called him Miss Codlingsby at school; but how much fairer was Miriam the
Hebrew!
Her hair had that deep glowing tinge in it which has been the delight
of all painters, and which, therefore, the vulgar sneer at.
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