They met him in a glow of animation, and Babie hardly gave him time
to lay down his basket of ferns from the dale, and flowers from the
garden, before she threw open the folding doors to the back drawing-
room.
"Why, mother, who sent you that group? Why do you laugh? Did
Grinstead lend it to Babie to copy? Young Astyanax, isn't it? And,
I say! Andromache is just like Jessie. I say! Mother Carey didn't
do it. Well! She is an astonishing little mother and no mistake.
The moulding of it! Our anatomical professor might lecture on
Hector's arm."
"Ah! I, haven't been a surgeon's wife for nothing. Your father put
me through a course of arms and legs."
"And we borrowed a baby," said Babie. "Mrs. Jones, our old groom's
wife, who lives in the Mews, was only too happy to bring it, and when
it was shy, it clung beautifully."
"Then the helmet."
"That was out of the British Museum."
"Has Grinstead seen it?"
"No, I kept it for my own public first."
"What will you do with it? Put it into the Royal Academy?"
"No, it is not big enough. I thought of offering it to the Works
that used to take my things in the old Folly days. They might do it
in terra cotta, or Parian."
"Too good for a toy material like that," said Jock.
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