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ng dodge' Number two on him.
'Thare, sar, thare is Il Tiziano! I spose you say you see notheeng bote large peas board: zat peas board was one táble for two, tree hundret yars; all zat time ze pickshoor was unbeknounst undair ze táble. Zey torn up ze table, and you see a none-doubted Tiziano. Var' fine pickshoor!'
'Do you know,' asked Uncle Bill, 'if it was in a temperance family all that time?'
'I am not acquent zat word, demprance--wot it means?'
'Sober,' was the answer.
'Yas, zat was in var' sobair fam'ly--in convent of nons.'
'That will account for its being undiscovered so long--all the world knows they are not inquisitive! If it had been in a drinking-house, some body falling under the table would have seen it--wouldn't they?'
Brick-bat reflects, and comes to the conclusion that the 'eldairly cove' is wider-awake than he believed him, at first sight.
'Now I torne zis board you see on ze othaire side, ze Bella Donna of Tiziano. Zere is one in ze Sciarra palace, bote betwane you and I, I don't believe it is gin'wine.'
'I don't know much about paintings,' spoke Uncle Bill, 'but I know I've seen seventy-six of these Belli Donners, and each one was sworn to as the original picture!'
'Var' true, sare, var' true, Tiziano Vermecellio was grate pantaire, man of grate mind, and when he got holt onto fine subjick he work him ovair and ovair feefty, seexty times. Ze chiaro-'scuro is var' fine, and ze depfs of his tone somethings var' deep, vary. Look at ze flaish, sare, you can pinch him, and, sare, you look here, I expose grand secret to you. I take zis pensnife, I scratgis ze pant. Look zare!'
'Well,' said Uncle Bill, 'I don't see any thing.'
'You don't see anne theengs! Wot you see under ze pant?'
'It looks like dirt.'
'Cospetto! zat is ze gr-and prep-par-ra-tion zat makes ze flaish of Tiziano more natooral as life. You know grate pantaire, Mistaire Leaf, as lives in ze Ripetta? Zat man has spend h