Even when he was vaporing about himself, and telling us of the wonderful things he meant to do in Painting, Lucilla's appearance was enough to check him, if she happened to come into the room.

On the first day when he showed me his American sketches (I define them, if you ask my private opinion, as false pretenses of Art, by a dashing amateur)--on that day, he was in full flow; marching up and down the room, smacking his forehead, and announcing himself quite gravely as "the coming man" in landscape painting.
"My mission, Madame Pratolungo, is to reconcile Humanity and Nature.

I propose to show (on an immense scale) how Nature (in her grandest aspects) can adapt herself to the spiritual wants of mankind.

In your joy or your sorrow, Nature has subtle sympathies with you, if you only know where to look for them.

My pictures--no! my poems in color--will show you.