Paul Tarrant--a Christian painter, already mentioned--was the first to
find fault with Barron's picture. The rest had little but praise for it,
and Brady, who grew madly enthusiastic, swore that "Joe's Ship" was the
finest bit of work that ever went out of Cornwall. But Tarrant cherished a
private grievance, and, as his view of art and ethics made it possible for
him, from his standpoint, to criticise the picture unfavorably in some
respects, he did so. It happened that he had recently finished a curious
work for the Academy: a painting called "The Good Shepherd." It represented
a young laboring man with a face of rare beauty but little power, plodding
homeward under setting sunlight. Upon his arm he bore a lamb, and behind
his head the sinking sun made a glorious nimbus. Barron had seen this work,
admired some of the painting, but bluntly sneered at the false sentiment
and vulgar parade of religious conviction which, as he conceived, animated
the whole. And now, the other man, in whose heart those contemptuous words
still rankled, found his turn had come. He had bitterly resented Barron's
sarcastic reference to those holy things which guided his life; there was
something of feminine nature in him too; so he did not much regret the
present opportunity.
"And you, Tarrant? This gives you scant pleasure--eh?" asked Barron.
"It is very wonderful painting, but there's nothing under the paint that I
can see.
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