not　been　made　on　some　good　bit　of　honeycombed　old　panel。　　The　stately
  Serafina　hereupon　protested　that　Mr。　Theobald　was　the　soul　of　honour；
  and　that　he　would　never　lend　himself　to　a　deceit。　　〃I　am　not　a　judge
  of　genius；〃　she　said；　〃and　I　know　nothing　of　pictures。　　I　am　but　a
  poor　simple　widow；　but　I　know　that　the　Signor　Teobaldo　has　the　heart
  of　an　angel　and　the　virtue　of　a　saint。　　He　is　my　benefactor；〃　she
  added　sententiously。　　The　after…glow　of　the　somewhat　sinister　flush
  with　which　she　had　greeted　me　still　lingered　in　her　cheek；　and
  perhaps　did　not　favour　her　beauty；　I　could　not　but　fancy　it　a　wise
  custom　of　Theobald's　to　visit　her　only　by　candle…light。　　She　was
  coarse；　and　her　pour　adorer　was　a　poet。
  〃I　have　the　greatest　esteem　for　him；〃　I　said；　〃it　is　for　this　reason
  that　I　have　been　uneasy　at　not　seeing　him　for　ten　days。　　Have　you
  seen　him？　　Is　he　perhaps　ill？〃
  〃Ill！　　Heaven　forbid！〃　cried　Serafina；　with　genuine　vehemence。
  Her　companion　uttered　a　rapid　expletive；　and　reproached　her　with　not
  having　been　to　see　him。　　She　hesitated　a　moment；　then　she　simpered
  the　least　bit　and　bridled。　　〃He　comes　to　see　mewithout　reproach！
  But　it　would　not　be　the　same　for　me　to　go　to　him；　though；　indeed；　you
  may　almost　call　him　a　man　of　holy　life。〃
  〃He　has　the　greatest　admiration　for　you；〃　I　said。　　〃He　would　have
  been　honoured　by　your　visit。〃
  She　looked　at　me　a　moment　sharply。　　〃More　admiration　than　you。　　Admit
  that！〃　　Of　course　I　protested　with　all　the　eloquence　at　my　command；
  and　my　mysterious　hostess　then　confessed　that　she　had　taken　no　fancy
  to　me　on　my　former　visit；　and　that；　Theobald　not　having　returned；　she
  believed　I　had　poisoned　his　mind　against　her。　　〃It　would　be　no
  kindness　to　the　poor　gentleman；　I　can　tell　you　that；〃　she　said。　　〃He
  has　come　to　see　me　every　evening　for　years。　　It's　a　long　friendship！
  No　one　knows　him　as　well　as　I。〃
  〃I　don't　pretend　to　know　him　or　to　understand　him；〃　I　said。　　〃He's　a
  mystery！　　Nevertheless；　he　seems　to　me　a　little〃　　And　I　touched　my
  forehead　and　waved　my　hand　in　the　air。
  Serafina　glanced　at　her　companion　a　moment；　as　if　for　inspiration。
  He　contented　himself　with　shrugging　his　shoulders　as　he　filled　his
  glass　again。　　The　padrona　hereupon　gave　me　a　more　softly　insinuating
  smile　than　would　have　seemed　likely　to　bloom　on　so　candid　a　brow。
  〃It's　for　that　that　I　love　him！〃　she　said。　　〃The　world　has　so　little
  kindness　for　such　persons。　　It　laughs　at　them；　and　despises　them；　and
  cheats　them。　　He　is　too　good　for　this　wicked　life！　　It's　his　fancy
  that　he　finds　a　little　Paradise　up　here　in　my　poor　apartment。　　If　he
  thinks　so；　how　can　I　help　it？　　He　has　a　strange　beliefreally；　I
  ought　to　he　ashamed　to　tell　youthat　I　resemble　the　Blessed　Virgin：
  Heaven　forgive　me！　　I　let　him　think　what　he　pleases；　so　long　as　it
  makes　him　happy。　　He　was　very　kind　to　me　once；　and　I　am　not　one　that
  forgets　a　favour。　　So　I　receive　him　every　evening　civilly；　and　ask
  after　his　health；　and　let　him　look　at　me　on　this　side　and　that！　　For
  that　matter；　I　may　say　it　without　vanity；　I　was　worth　looking　at
  once！　　And　he's　not　always　amusing；　poor　man！　　He　sits　sometimes　for
  an　hour　without　speaking　a　word；　or　else　he　talks　away；　without
  stopping；　on　art　and　nature；　and　beauty　and　duty；　and　fifty　fine
  things　that　are　all　so　much　Latin　to　me。　　I　beg　you　to　understand
  that　he　has　never　said　a　word　to　me　that　I　mightn't　decently　listen
  to。　　He　may　be　a　little　cracked；　but　he's　one　of　the　blessed　saints。〃
  〃Eh！〃　cried　the　man；　〃the　blessed　saints　were　all　a　little　cracked！〃
  Serafina；　I　fancied；　left　part　of　her　story　untold；　but　she　told
  enough　of　it　to　make　poor　Theobald's　own　statement　seem　intensely
  pathetic　in　its　exalted　simplicity。　　〃It's　a　strange　fortune；
  certainly；〃　she　went　on；　〃to　have　such　a　friend　as　this　dear　mana
  friend　who　is　less　than　a　lover　and　more　than　a　friend。〃　　I　glanced
  at　her　companion；　who　preserved　an　impenetrable　smile；　twisted　the
  end　of　his　moustache；　and　disposed　of　a　copious　mouthful。　　Was　HE
  less　than　a　lover？　〃But　what　will　you　have？〃　Serafina　pursued。　　〃In
  this　hard　world　one　must　not　ask　too　many　questions；　one　must　take
  what　comes　and　keep　what　one　gets。　　I　have　kept　my　good　friend　for
  twenty　years；　and　I　do　hope　that；　at　this　time　of　day；　signore；　you
  have　not　come　to　turn　him　against　me！〃
  I　assured　her　that　I　had　no　such　design；　and　that　I　should　vastly
  regret　disturbing　Mr。　Theobald's　habits　or　convictions。　　On　the
  contrary；　I　was　alarmed　about　him；　and　I　should　immediately　go　in
  search　of　him。　　She　gave　me　his　address；　and　a　florid　account　of　her
  sufferings　at　his　non…appearance。　　She　had　not　been　to　him　for
  various　reasons；　chiefly　because　she　was　afraid　of　displeasing　him；
  as　he　had　always　made　such　a　mystery　of　his　home。　　〃You　might　have
  sent　this　gentleman！〃　I　ventured　to　suggest。
  〃Ah；〃　cried　the　gentleman；　〃he　admires　the　Signora　Serafina；　but　he
  wouldn't　admire　me。〃　　And　then；　confidentially；　with　his　finger　on
  his　nose；　〃He's　a　purist！〃
  I　was　about　to　withdraw；　after　having　promised　that　I　would　inform
  the　Signora　Serafina　of　my　friend's　condition；　when　her　companion；
  who　had　risen　from　table　and　girded　his　loins　apparently　for　the
  onset；　grasped　me　gently　by　the　arm；　and　led　me　before　the　row　of
  statuettes。　　〃I　perceive　by　your　conversation；　signore；　that　you　are
  a　patron　of　the　arts。　　Allow　me　to　request　your　honourable　attention
  for　these　modest　products　of　my　own　ingenuity。　　They　are　brand…new；
  fresh　from　my　atelier；　and　have　never　been　exhibited　in　public。　　I
  have　brought　them　here　to　receive　the　verdict　of　this　dear　lady；　who
  is　a　good　critic；　for　all　she　may　pretend　to　the　contrary。　　I　am　the
  inventor　of　this　peculiar　style　of　statuetteof　subject；　manner；
  material；　everything。　　Touch　them；　I　pray　you；　handle　them　freely
  you　needn't　fear。　　Delicate　as　they　look；　it　is　impossible　they
  should　break！　　My　various　creations　have　met　with　great　success。
  They　are　especially　admired　by　Americans。　　I　have　sent　them　all　over
  Europeto　London；　Paris；　Vienna！　　You　may　have　observed　some　little
  specimens　in　Paris；　on　the　Boulevard；　in　a　shop　of　which　they
  constitute　the　specialty。　　There　is　always　a　crowd　about　the　window。
  They　form　a　very　pleasing　ornament　for　the　mantel…shelf　of　a　gay
  young　bachelor；　for　the　boudoir　of　a　pretty　woman。　　You　couldn't　make
  a　prettier　present　to　a　person　with　whom　you　wished　to　exchange　a
  harmless　joke。　　It　is　not　classic　art；　signore；　of　course；　but；
  between　ourselves；　isn't　classic　art　sometimes　rather　a　bore？
  Caricature；　burlesque；　la　charge；　as　the　French　say；　has　hitherto
  been　confined　to　paper；　to　the　pen　and　pencil。　　Now；　it　has　been　my
  inspiration　to　introduce　it　into　statuary。　　For　this　purpose　I　have
  invented　a　peculiar　plastic　compound　which　you　will　permit　me　not　to
  divulge。　　That's　my　secret；　signore！　　It's　as　light；　you　perceive；　as
  cork；　and　yet　as　firm　as　alabaster！　　I　frankly　confess　that　I　really
  pride　myself　as　much　on　this　little　stroke　of　chemical　ingenuity　as
  upon　the　other　element　of　novelty　in　my　creationsmy　types。　　What　do
  you　say　to　my　types；　signore？　　The　idea　is　bold；　does　it　strike　you
  as　happy？　　Cats　and　monkeysmonkeys　and　catsall　human　life　is
  there！　　Human　life；　of　course；　I　mean；　viewed　with　the　eye　of　the
  satirist！　　To　combine　sculpture　and　satire；　signore；　has　been　my
  unprecedented　ambition。　　I　flatter　myself　that　I　have　not　egregiously
  failed。〃
  As　this　jaunty　Juvenal　of　the　chimney…piece　delivered　himself　of　his
  persuasive　allocution；　he　took　up　his　little　groups　successively　from
  the　table；　held　them　aloft；　turned　them　about；　rapped　them　with　his
  knuckles；　and　gazed　at　them　lovingly；　with　his　head　on　one　side。
  They　consisted　each　of　a　cat　and　a　monkey；　fantastically　draped；　in
  some　preposterously　sentimental　conjunction。　　They　exhibited　a
  certain　sameness　of　motive；　and　illustrated　chiefly　the　different
  phases　of　what；　in　delicate　terms；　may　be　called　gallantry　and
  coquetry；　but　they　were　strikingly　clever　and　expressive；　and　were　at
  once　very　perfect　cats　and　monkeys　and　very　natural　men　and　women。　　I
  confess；　however；　that　they　failed　to　amuse　me。　　I　was　doubtless　not
  in　a　mood　to　enjoy　them；　for　they　seemed　to　me　peculiarly　cynical　and
  vulgar。　　Their　imitative　felicity　was　revolting。　　As　I　looked　askance
  at　the　complacent　little　artist；　brandishing　them　between　finger　and
  thumb　and　caressing　them　with　an　amorous　eye；　he　seemed　to　me　himself
  little　more　than　an　exceptionally　intelligent　ape。　　I　mustered　an
  admiring　grin；　however；　and　he　blew　another　blast。　　〃My　figures　are
  studied　from　life！　　I　have　a　little　menagerie　of　monkeys　whose
  frolics　I　contemplate　by　the　hour。　　As　for　the　cats；　one　has　only　to
  look　out　of　one's　back　window！　　Since　I　have　begun　to　examine　these
  expressive　little　brutes；　I　have　made　many　profound　observations。
  Speaking；　signore；　to　a　man　of　imagination；　I　may　say　that　my