Page:Pen And Pencil Sketches - Volume I.djvu/72

Rh for their only decoration two rows of paintings — one of studies from the life, the other of original sketches, chiefly classical and biblical. These were executed by present or past students, and were plainly framed by strips of wood, with the author’s name below. One bore the name of Bougereau, and I was glad to see that of a compatriot, John Cross, appended to another.

The duties of the nouveau or last-comer were simple and not too arduous. He was expected to look after the stove-fire, to run errands, and to act as general fag. Once I was sent to the house of the master after atelier hours, and, assisted by an old and favourite model of his, had to prick the outline of the large apostles already referred to for “pouncing” on to the church wall. But as his very first duty, the nouveau was expected to stand a bowl of punch or vin chaud, and sing a song or make a speech before he was free of the atdlier. The punch was soon obtained, and I “scored” by crying “Vive la belle France,” as I took off my glass. A speech with my very limited vocabulary being out of the question, I sang them the old song of “Guy Fawkes” with its chorus of “Bow-wow.” This was so new and incomprehensible to them that they were fairly “knocked.” At once the relations between us became friendly, and I went by the name of “Bow-wow” for several weeks.