MY DEAR LEIGHTON,--The public voice respecting the lecture you are calumniously charged with, is as wise as usual. The lecture is an excellent and most interesting one, and I am very sorry it is not yours.
I am also very sorry the basket _is_ yours, in spite of the very pretty theory of accessories. It is proper that an accessory be slightly--sometimes even, in a measure, badly--painted, but not that it should be out of perspective; and in the greatest men, their enjoyment and power animated the very dust under the feet of their figures--much more the baskets on their heads: above all things, what comes near a head should be studied in every line.
There is nothing more notable to my mind in the minor tricks of the great Venetians than the exquisite perspective of bandeaux, braids, garlands, jewels, flowers, or anything else which aids the _roundings_ of their heads.
It is my turn to claim Browning for you, though I know what your morning time is to you. I must have you over here one of these summer mornings, if it be but to look at some dashes in sepia by Reynolds, and a couple of mackerel by Turner--which, being principals instead of accessories, I hope you will permit to be well done, though they're not as pretty as peacocks.
I have been watching the "Romola" plates with interest. The one of the mad old man with dagger seemed to me a marvellous study (of its kind), and I feel the advancing power in all.
Will you tell me any day you could come--any hour--and I'll try for Browning.--Ever faithfully yours,
I'm always wickeder in the morning than at night, because I'm fresh; so I'll try, this morning, to relieve your mind about the peacocks. To my sorrow, I know more of peacocks than girls, as you know more of girls than peacocks--and I assure you solemnly the fowls are quite as unsatisfactory to me as the girl can possibly be to you; so unsatisfactory, that if I could have painted them as well as you could, and _had_ painted them as ill, I should have painted them out.[36]
DEAR LEIGHTON,--I saw Browning last night; and he said he couldn't come till Thursday week: but do you think it would put you quite off your work if you came out here early on Friday and I drove you into Kensington as soon as you liked? We have enough to say and look at, surely, for two mornings--one by ourselves?