I felt myself too much moved by the associations connected with it, and
called up by her, to answer readily; and she, as if conjecturing this,
led the conversation gently off, at first to painting in general, and
afterwards, as I grew more at my ease with her, back again, with an
appearance of genuine interest, to mine.
"There was one little shell," said she, "in your native group, which was
quite new to me, and--which is more remarkable--to my brother."
"Was it like this?" asked I, taking a specimen from my paint-box.
"Precisely. We felt sure the portrait must be true to life, because all
its companions were such faithful likenesses; and then it had itself
such an honest, genuine, individual look. But is it to be found on this
coast?"
"Yes. If Mr. Dudley has not met with it, it must no doubt be very rare;
but, near the same spot always, just beyond Cedar Point, under the rocks
in the little cove that lies farthest to the south, I have found it more
than once."
"You must be quite an enthusiast in natural history. Have you studied it
long?"
"No, ma'am, never. I mean," continued I, answering her look of surprise,
"never from books. I believe I should enjoy it more than any other
study; but I know so little yet of other things, and there are so many
other things that one needs more to know.
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