Page:The Van Roon (IA thevanroon00snaiiala).pdf/47

 know what my opinion is?" Of a sudden, the exalted voice sank mysteriously.

June had no idea what William's opinion was, but she was quite willing to hear it, whatever it might be, for he had just had a considerable rise in her estimation.

"It wouldn't surprise me at all if this turns out to be a" He broke off with a perplexing smile.

"Turns out to be a what?"

"Perhaps I'd better not say." The words, in their caution and their gravity intrigued a shrewd daughter of the midlands. June, in spite of herself, was beginning to respect this odd young man.

"You think it might be something very good?"

"It might be something almost too good." William's tone had a deep vibration. "If it keeps on coming out like this, it'll be wonderful. Do you see that cloud?"

June peered hard, but she could not see a suspicion of a cloud.

"Take the microscope."

Even with the microscope no cloud was visible to June.

"I'm as sure of it as I ever was of anything," said William. "There's a cloud—oh, yes!" The note of faith was music. "And there's a sky—oh, yes!" A stray beam of the September sunset made an effect so remarkable, as it slanted across the upturned eyes, that June paid them rather more attention at the moment than she gave to the canvas.

"Has Uncle Si seen those trees?" she asked suddenly.

"Yes, the master came up to look at them a few minutes ago."