〃There　now！　what　do　you　think　of　that？　Mr。　Honorable　Mention。〃
  Oliver　opened　his　eyes　in　astonishment。
  〃That's　just　like　John；　bless　his　heart！〃　he　answered　　slowly；　as　his　glance　sought　the　floor。　This　last　drop　had　filled　his　cup　of　happiness　to　the　brim　Some　of　it　was　glistening　on　his　lashes。
  〃Now　tell　me　your　good　news〃　she　continued；　her　eyes　still　dancing。　She　had　seen　the　look　but　　misunderstood　the　cause。
  Oliver　raised　his　eyes
  〃Oh；　it's　not　nearly　as　good　as　yours；　Madge；　in　one　way　and　yet　in　another　it's　a　heap　better。　What　do　you　think？　Old　Peter　Fish　wants　me　to　paint　his　daughter's　portrait。〃
  Margaret　laid　her　hand　on　his。
  〃Oh；　Oliver！　Not　Peter　Fish！　That's　the　best　thing　that　has　happened　yet；〃　and　her　face　instantly　assumed　a　more　serious　expression。　〃I　know　the　girl　she　will　be　an　easy　subject；　she's　exactly　your　type。　How　do　you　know？〃
  〃Just　saw　John　Snedecor　in　answer　to　a　letter　he　wrote　me。　Fish　has　bought　the　'Woman　in　Black。'　He's　delighted　with　it。〃
  〃Why；　I　thought　it　belonged　to　the　Countess。〃
  〃So　it　did。　She　sold　it。〃
  〃Sold　it！〃
  〃Yes。　Does　it　surprise　you？〃
  〃No；　I　can't　say　that　it　does。　I　am　glad；　though；　that　it　will　stay　in　the　country。　It's　by　far　the　best　thing　you　or　anybody　else　has　done　this　season。　I　was　afraid　she　would　take　it　back　with　her。　Poor　woman！　she　has　had　a　hard　life；　and　it　doesn't　seem　to　get　any　better；　from　what　I　hear。〃
  〃You　know　the　original；　then；　my　dear？〃　asked　Richard；　holding　out　his　second　cup　of　tea　for　another　　lump　of　sugar；　which　Margaret　in　her　excitement　　had　forgotten。　He　and　Nathan　had　listened　with　the　keenest　interest　to　the　reading　of　John　Grant's　letter　and　to　the　discussion　that　had　followed。
  〃I　know　OF　her；〃　answered　Margaret　as　she　dropped　it　in；　〃and　she　knows　me；　but　I've　never　met　her。　She's　a　Pole；　and　something　of　a　painter；　too。　She　studied　in　the　same　atelier　where　I　was；　but　that　was　before　I　went　to　Paris。　Her　husband　became　mixed　up　in　some　political　conspiracy　and　was　sent　to　Siberia；　and　she　was　put　across　the　frontier　that　same　night。　She　is　very　popular　in　Paris；　they　all　like　her；　especially　the　painters。　There　is　nothing　against　her　except　her　poverty。〃　There　could　be　nothing　　against　any　woman　in　Margaret's　eyes。　〃But　for　her　jewels　she　would　have　had　as　hard　a　time　to　get　on　as　the　rest　of　us。　Now　and　then　she　parts　with　one　of　her　pearls；　and　between　times　she　teaches　music。　You　must　see　the　picture　Oliver　painted　of　herit　will　delight　you。〃
  〃Oh；　but　I　have！〃 exclaimed　Richard；　laying　down　his　cup。　〃We　looked　at　it　as　we　came　up。　It　is　really　a　great　picture。　He　tells　me　it　is　the　work　of　two　hours　and　under　gas…light。〃
  〃No；　not　altogether；　father。　I　had　a　few　hours　on　it　the　next　day；〃　interrupted　Oliver。
  〃Strong；　isn't　it？〃　continued　Margaret；　without　noticing　Oliver's　explanation。　〃It　is　really　better　in　many　ways　than　the　girl　in　the　Tam…o'…Shanter　cap　the　one　he　painted　of　me。　That　had　some　of　Lely's　qualities　about　it；　especially　in　the　flesh　tones。　He　always　tells　me　the　inspiration　to　paint　it　came　from　an　old　picture　belonging　to　his　uncle。　You　know　that　of　course？〃　and　she　laid　a　thin　sandwich　on　Nathan's　plate。
  〃You　mean　Tilghman's　Lelythe　one　in　his　house　in　Kennedy　Square？　Oh；〃　said　Richard；　lifting　his　fingers　in　appreciation；　〃I　know　every　line　of　it。　It　is　one　of　the　best　Lely's　I　ever　saw；　and　to　me　the　gem　of　Tilghman's　collection。〃
  〃Yes；　so　Ollie　tells　me；〃　continued　Margaret。　〃Now　this　picture　of　the　Countess　is　to　me　very　much　more　in　Velasquez's　method　than　in　Lely's。　Broader　and　stronger　and　with　a　surer　touch。　I　have　always　told　Ollie　he　was　right　to　give　up　landscapes。　These　two　pictures　show　it。　There　is　really；　Mr。　Horn；　no　one　on　this　side　of　the　water　who　is　doing　exactly　what　Oliver　is。〃　She　spoke　as　if　she　was　discussing　Page；　Huntington　or　Elliott　or　any　other　painter　of　the　day；　not　as　if　it　was　her　lover。　〃Did　you　notice　how　the　lace　was　brushed　in　and　all　that　work　about　the　throatespecially　the　shadow　tones？〃
  She　treated　Richard　precisely　as　if　he　was　one　of　the　guild。　His　criticisms　of　her　own　workfor　he　had　insisted　on　seeing　her　latest　picture　and　had　even　been　more　enthusiastic　over　it　than　he　had　been　over　Oliver'sand　his　instant　appreciation　of　the　Lambinet；　　convinced　her；　even　before　he　had　finished　the　tour　of　the　room；　that　the　quaint　old　gentleman　was　as　much　at　home　in　her　atmosphere　as　he　was　in　that　of　his　shop　at　home　discussing　scientific　problems　with　some　savant。
  〃I　did；　my　dear。　It　is　quite　as　you　say；〃　answered　Richard；　with　great　earnestness。　〃This　'Woman　in　Black；'　as　he　calls　it；　is　painted　not　only　with　sureness　and　with　an　intimate　knowledge　of　the　textures；　but　it　seems　to　me　he　has　the　faculty　of　expressing　with　each　stroke　of　his　brush；　as　an　engraver　does　with　his　burin；　the　rounds　and　hollows　of　his　surfaces。　And　to　think；　too；　my　dear；〃　he　continued；　〃that　most　of　it　was　done　at　night。　The　color　tones；　you　know〃and　his　manner　changed；　and　a　more　thoughtful　expression　came　into　his　facethe　scientist　　was　speaking　now〃are　most　difficult　to　manage　at　night。　The　colors　of　the　spectrum　undergo　some　very　curious　changes　under　artificial　light；　especially　from　a　gas　consuming　as　much　carbon　as　our　common　　carburetted　hydrogen。　The　greens；　owing　to　the　absorption　of　the　yellow　rays；　become　the　brighter；　and　the　orange　and　red　tones；　from　the　same　reason；　the　more　intense；　while　the　paler　violets　and；　in　fact；　all　the　tertiaries；　of　a　bluish　cast　lose〃
  He　stopped；　as　he　caught　a　puzzled　expression　on　her　face。　〃Oh；　what　a　dreadful　person　I　am；〃　he　exclaimed；　rising　from　his　seat。　〃It　is　quite　inexcusable　　in　me。　Please　forgive　me；　my　dearI　was　really　thinking　aloud。　Such　ponderous　learned　words　should　be　kept　out　of　this　delightful　abode　of　the　Muses；　and　then；　I　assure　you；　I　really　know　so　little　about　it；　and　you　know　so　much。〃　And　he　laughed　softly；　and　made　a　little　bow　as　a　further　apology。
  〃No。　I　don't　know　one　thing　about　it；　nor　does　any　other　painter　I　know；〃　she　laughed；　blowing　out　the　alcohol　lamp；　〃not　quite　in　the　same　way。　And　if　I　did　I　should　want　you　to　come　every　day　and　bring　Mr。　Gill　with　you　to　tell　me　about　it。〃　Where…　upon　Nathan；　replying　that　nothing　would　give　him　more　pleasure　（he　had　been　silent　most　of　the　time　somehow　no　one　expected　him　to　talk　much　when　Richard　was　present）；　struggled　to　his　feet　at　an　almost　imperceptible　sign　from　the　inventor；　who　suddenly　remembered　that　his　capitalists　were　waiting　　for　him；　pulled　his　old　cloak　about　his　shoulders　and；　with　Richard　leading　the　way；　they　all　four　moved　out　into　the　hall　and　stood　in　the　open　doorway。
  When　they　reached　the　top　stair　outside　the　studio　dear　Richard　stopped；　took　both　of　Margaret's　hands　in　his；　and　said；　in　his　kindest　voice　and　in　his　gravest　and　most　thoughtful　manner；　as　he　looked　down　into　her　face：
  〃My　dear　Miss　Grant；　may　I　tell　you　that　I　have　to…day　found　in　you　the　realization　of　one　of　my　day…　dreams？　And　will　you　forgive　an　old　man　when　he　says　how　proud　it　makes　him　to　know　a　woman　who　is　brave　enough　to　live　the　life　you　do？　You　are　the　forerunner　of　a　great　movement；　my　dearthe　mother　of　a　new　guild。　It　is　a　grand　and　noble　thing　for　a　woman　to　sustain　herself　with　work　that　she　loves〃and　the　dear　old　gentleman；　lifting　his　hat　with　the　air　of　a　courtier；　betook　himself　down…stairs；　followed　by　Nathan；　bowing　as　he　went。
  No　wonder　he　rejoiced！　Most　of　the　dreams　of　his　younger　days　were　coining　true。　And　now　this　woman　the　beginning　of　a　new　erathe　opening　out　of　a　new　civilization。　And　ahead　of　it　a　National　Art　that　the　world　would　one　day　recognize！
  He　tried　to　express　his　delight　to　Oliver；　and　turned　to　find　him；　but　Oliver　was　not　beside　him　nor　did　he　join　his　father　for　five　minutes　at　least。　That　young　gentlemanjust　as　Richard　and　Nathan　had　reached　the　BOTTOM　of　the　second　flight　of　stairs　had　suddenly　remembered　something　of　the　utmost　importance　which　he　had　left　in　the　INNER　room；　and　which　he　could　not　possibly　find　until　Madge；　waiting　by　the　banister；　had　gone　back　to　help　him　look　for　it；　and　not　then；　until　Mrs。　Mulligan　had　left　them　both　and　shut　the　kitchen…door　behind　her。　Yes；　it　was　quite　five　minutes；　or　more；　before　Oliver　clattered　　down…stairs　after　his　guests；　stopping　but　once　to　look　up　through　the　banisters　into　Margaret's　eyesshe　was　leaning　over　for　the　purposehis　open　hand　held　up　toward　her　as　a　sign　that　it　was　always　at　her　command。
  CHAPTER　XXIII
  MR。　MUNSON'S　LOST　FOIL
  For　a　quiet；　orderly；　well　behaved　and　most　dignified　　street；　Tenth　Street；　at　seven　o'clock　one　April　night　was　disgracing　itself　in　a　way　that　must　have　shocked　its　inhabitants。　Cabs　driving　like　mad　were　rattling　over　the　cobbles；　making　their　way　toward　the　old　Studio　Building。　Policemen　were　shouting　to　the　drivers　to　keep　in　line。　Small　boys　were　darting　　in　and　out；　peering　into　the　cab　windows　and　calling　out　to　their　fellows：　〃Ki　Jimmy！　see　de　Ingin　wid　de　fedder…duster　on　his　head〃or；　〃Look　at　de　pill　in　de　yaller　shirt！　My　eye；　ain't　he　a　honey…　cooler！〃
  At　the　entrance　of　the　building；　just　inside　the　door　where　the　crowd　was　thickest；　stood　two　men　i