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He never meant that the poor should not see them when he painted them； I
am sure。 He would have had us see them any day； every day； that I am
sure。 And they keep them shrouded thereshrouded！ in the dark； the
beautiful things！ And they never feel the light； and no eyes look on them；
unless rich people come and pay。 If I could only see them； I would be
content to die。〃
But he could not see them； and Patrasche could not help him； for to
gain the silver piece that the church exacts as the price for looking on the
glories of the 〃Elevation of the Cross〃 and the 〃Descent of the Cross〃 was
a thing as utterly beyond the powers of either of them as it would have
been to scale the heights of the cathedral spire。 They had never so much as
a sou to spare； if they cleared enough to get a little wood for the stove； a
little broth for the pot； it was the utmost they could do。 And yet the heart
of the child was set in sore and endless longing upon beholding the
greatness of the two veiled Rubens。
The whole soul of the little Ardennois thrilled and stirred with an
absorbing passion for art。 Going on his ways through the old city in the
early days before the sun or the people had risen； Nello； who looked only a
little peasant boy； with a great dog drawing milk to sell from door to door；
was in a heaven of dreams whereof Rubens was the god。 Nello； cold and
hungry； with stockingless feet in wooden shoes； and the winter winds
blowing among his curls and lifting his poor thin garments； was in a
rapture of meditation； wherein all that he saw was the beautiful fair face of
the Mary of the Assumption； with the waves of her golden hair lying upon
her shoulders； and the light of an eternal sun shining down upon her brow。
Nello； reared in poverty； and buffeted by fortune； and untaught in letters；
and unheeded by men； had the compensation or the curse which is called
genius。 No one knew it； he as little as any。 No one knew it。 Only； indeed；
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Patrasche； who； being with him always； saw him draw with chalk upon the
stones any and every thing that grew or breathed； heard him on his little
bed of hay murmur all manner of timid； pathetic prayers to the spirit of the
great master； watched his gaze darken and his face radiate at the evening
glow of sunset or the rosy rising of the dawn； and felt many and many a
time the tears of a strange； nameless pain and joy； mingled together； fall
hotly from the bright young eyes upon his own wrinkled yellow forehead。
〃I should go to my grave quite content if I thought； Nello； that when
thou growest a man thou couldst own this hut and the little plot of ground；
and labor for thyself； and be called Baas by thy neighbours；〃 said the old
man Jehan many an hour from his bed。 For to own a bit of soil； and to be
called Baas （master） by the hamlet round； is to have achieved the highest
ideal of a Flemish peasant； and the old soldier； who had wandered over all
the earth in his youth； and had brought nothing back； deemed in his old
age that to live and die on one spot in contented humility was the fairest
fate he could desire for his darling。 But Nello said nothing。
The same leaven was working in him that in other times begat Rubens
and Jordaens and the Van Eycks； and all their wondrous tribe； and in times
more recent begat in the green country of the Ardennes； where the Meuse
washes the old walls of Dijon； the great artist of the Patroclus； whose
genius is too near us for us aright to measure its divinity。
Nello dreamed of other things in the future than of tilling the little rood
of earth； and living under the wattle roof； and being called Baas by
neighbours a little poorer or a little less poor than himself。 The cathedral
spire； where it rose beyond the fields in the ruddy evening skies or in the
dim； gray； misty mornings； said other things to him than this。 But these he
told only to Patrasche； whispering； childlike； his fancies in the dog's ear
when they went together at their work through the fogs of the daybreak； or
lay together at their rest among the rustling rushes by the water's side。
For such dreams are not easily shaped into speech to awake the slow
sympathies of human auditors； and they would only have sorely perplexed
and troubled the poor old man bedridden in his corner； who； for his part；
whenever he had trodden the streets of Antwerp； had thought the daub of
blue and red that they called a Madonna； on the walls of the wine…shop
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where he drank his sou's worth of black beer； quite as good as any of the
famous altarpieces for which the stranger folk traveled far and wide into
Flanders from every land on which the good sun shone。
There was only one other beside Patrasche to whom Nello could talk
at all of his daring fantasies。 This other was little Alois； who lived at the
old red mill on the grassy mound； and whose father； the miller； was the
best…to…do husbandman in all the village。 Little Alois was only a pretty
baby with soft round； rosy features； made lovely by those sweet dark eyes
that the Spanish rule has left in so many a Flemish face； in testimony of
the Alvan dominion； as Spanish art has left broad…sown throughout the
country majestic palaces and stately courts； gilded house…fronts and
sculptured lintelshistories in blazonry and poems in stone。
Little Alois was often with Nello and Patrasche。 They played in the
fields； they ran in the snow； they gathered the daisies and bilberries； they
went up to the old gray church together； and they often sat together by the
broad wood fire in the mill…house。 Little Alois； indeed； was the richest
child in the hamlet。 She had neither brother nor sister； her blue serge dress
had never a hole in it； at kermess she had as many gilded nuts and Agni
Dei in sugar as her hands could hold； and when she went up for her first
communion her flaxen curls were covered with a cap of richest Mechlin
lace； which had been her mother's and her grandmother's before it came to
her。 Men spoke already； though she had but twelve years； of the good wife
she would be for their sons to woo and win； but she herself was a little gay；
simple child； in no wise conscious of her heritage； and she loved no
playfellows so well as Jehan Daas's grandson and his dog。
One day her father； Baas