Hazard knew that the verses were Esther's,
and was not disposed to laugh at them. Wharton saw that Catherine came
out with new beauties in every _role_ she filled, and already wanted to
use her as a model for some future frescoed Euterpe. Esther was driven
to laugh alone.
Petrarch and Laura are dangerous subjects of study for young people in a
church. Wharton and Hazard knew by heart scores of the sonnets, and were
fond of repeating verses either in the original or in their own
translations, and Esther soon picked up what they let fall, being quick
at catching what was thrown to her. She caught verse after verse of
Hazard's favorites, and sometimes he could hear her murmuring as she
painted:
"Siccome eterna vita e veder dio,
Ne piu si brama, ne bramar piu lice;"
and at such moments he began to think that he was himself Petrarch, and
that to repeat to his Laura the next two verses of the sonnet had become
the destiny of his life.
So the weeks ran on until, after a month of hard work, the last days of
January saw the two figures nearly completed. When in due time the
meaning of St. Luke became evident, Esther and Catherine waited in fear
to see how Wharton would take the liberty on which they had so rashly
ventured. As the likeness came out more strongly, he stopped one morning
before it, when Esther, after finishing her own task, was working on Mr.
Hazard's design.
"By our lady of love!" said Wharton, with a start and a laugh; "now I
see what mischief you three have been at!"
"The church would not have been complete without it," said Esther
timidly.
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