hecontinued，“wasdiscarded；thesetwowastheposehefinallyaccepted；thisonewithoutalteration，asitwere。
“That’sinParis，asIremember，“Jamescontinuedreflectively。
“ItwentwiththeSaintCeciliaintotheBaronH——’scollection。Couldyoutellme，sir，’as’eitstill？I
don’tliketoloseaccountofthem，butsome’aschanged’andssinceSir’Ugh’sdeath。“
“H——’scollectionisstillintact，Ibelieve，“repliedMacMaster。
“YouwerewithTreffingerlong？“
“Frommyboyhood，sir，“repliedJameswithgravity。“Iwasastableboywhen’etookme。“
“Youwerehisman，then？“
“That’sit，sir。Nobodyelseeverdoneanythingaroundthestudio。
Ialwaysmixed’iscolorsand’etaughtmetodoashareofthevarnishin’；’esaidas’owtherewasn’ta’ouseinEnglandascoulddoitproper。Youayn’tlookedattheMarriageyet，sir？“
heaskedabruptly，glancingdoubtfullyatMacMaster，andindicatingwithhisthumbthepictureunderthenorthlight。
“Notveryclosely。Iprefertobeginwithsomethingsimpler；
that’sratherappalling，atfirstglance，“repliedMacMaster。
“Wellmayyousaythat，sir，“saidJameswarmly。“ThatoneregularkilledSir’Ugh；itregularbroke’imup，andnothinkwilleverconvincemeas’owitdidn’tbringon’issecondstroke。“
WhenMacMasterwalkedbacktoHighStreettotakehisbushismindwasdividedbetweentwoexultantconvictions。HefeltthathehadnotonlyfoundTreffinger’sgreatestpicture，butthat，inJames，hehaddiscoveredakindofcrypticindextothepainter’spersonality——acluewhich，iftactfullyfollowed，mightleadtomuch。
Severaldaysafterhisfirstvisittothestudio，MacMasterwrotetoLadyMaryPercy，tellingherthathewouldbeinLondonforsometimeandaskingherifhemightcall。LadyMarywasanonlysisterofLadyEllenTreffinger，thepainter’swidow，andMacMasterhadknownherduringonewinterhespentatNice。Hehadknownher，indeed，verywell，andLadyMary，whowasastonishinglyfrankandcommunicativeuponallsubjects，hadbeennolesssouponthematterofhersister’sunfortunatemarriage。
InherreplytohisnoteLadyMarynamedanafternoonwhenshewouldbealone。Shewasasgoodasherword，andwhenMacMasterarrivedhefoundthedrawingroomempty。LadyMaryenteredshortlyafterhewasannounced。Shewasatallwoman，thinandstifflyjointed，andherbodystoodoutunderthefoldsofhergownwiththerigorofcastiron。Thisrathermetallicsuggestionwasfurthercarriedoutinherheavilyknuckledhands，herstiffgrayhair，andherlong，bold-featuredface，whichwassavedfromfreakishnessonlybyheralerteyes。
“Really，“saidLadyMary，takingaseatbesidehimandgivinghimasortofmilitaryinspectionthroughhernoseglasses，“really，IhadbeguntofearthatIhadlostyoualtogether。It’sfouryearssinceIsawyouatNice，isn’tit？I
wasinParislastwinter，butIheardnothingfromyou。“
“IwasinNewYorkthen。“
“Itoccurredtomethatyoumightbe。AndwhyareyouinLondon？“
“Canyouask？“repliedMacMastergallantly。
LadyMarysmiledironically。“Butforwhatelse，incidentally？“
“Well，incidentally，IcametoseeTreffinger’sstudioandhisunfinishedpicture。SinceI’vebeenhere，I’vedecidedtostaythesummer。I’meventhinkingofattemptingtodoabiographyofhim。“
“SothatiswhatbroughtyoutoLondon？“
“Notexactly。IhadreallynointentionofanythingsoseriouswhenIcame。It’shislastpicture，Ifancy，thathasratherthrustituponme。Thenotionhassettleddownonmelikeathingdestined。“
“You’llnotbeoffendedifIquestiontheclemencyofsuchadestiny，“remarkedLadyMarydryly。“Isn’tthereratherasurplusofbooksonthatsubjectalready？“
“Suchastheyare。Oh，I’vereadthemall“——hereMacMasterfacedLadyMarytriumphantly。“Hehasquiteescapedyouramiablecritics，“headded，smiling。
“Iknowwellenoughwhatyouthink，andIdaresaywearenotmuchonart，“saidLadyMarywithtolerantgoodhumor。“Weleavethattopeopleswhohavenophysique。Treffingermadeastirforatime，butitseemsthatwearenotcapableofasustainedappreciationofsuchextraordinarymethods。Intheendwegobacktothepictureswefindagreeableandunperplexing。Hewasregardedasanexperiment，Ifancy；andnowitseemsthathewasratheranunsuccessfulone。Ifyou’vecometousinamissionaryspirit，we’lltolerateyoupolitely，butwe’lllaughinoursleeve，Iwarnyou。“
“Thatreallydoesn’tdauntme，LadyMary，“declaredMacMasterblandly。“AsItoldyou，I’mamanwithamission。“
LadyMarylaughedherhoarse，baritonelaugh。“Bravo！Andyou’vecometomeforinspirationforyourpanegyric？“
MacMastersmiledwithsomeembarrassment。“Notaltogetherforthatpurpose。ButIwanttoconsultyou，LadyMary，abouttheadvisabilityoftroublingLadyEllenTreffingerinthematter。Itseemsscarcelylegitimatetogoonwithoutaskinghertogivesomesortofgracetomyproceedings，yetIfearedthewholesubjectmightbepainfultoher。Ishallrelywhollyuponyourdiscretion。“
“Ithinkshewouldprefertobeconsulted，“repliedLadyMaryjudicially。“Ican’tunderstandhowsheendurestohavethewretchedaffaircontinuallyrakedup，butshedoes。Sheseemstofeelasortofmoralresponsibility。Ellenhasalwaysbeensingularlyconscientiousaboutthismatter，insofarasherlightgoes，——whichratherpuzzlesme，ashersisnotexactlyamagnanimousnature。Sheiscertainlytryingtodowhatshebelievestobetherightthing。Ishallwritetoher，andyoucanseeherwhenshereturnsfromItaly。“
“Iwantverymuchtomeether。Sheis，Ihope，quiterecoveredineveryway，“queriedMacMaster，hesitatingly。
“No，Ican’tsaythatsheis。Shehasremainedinmuchthesameconditionshesanktobeforehisdeath。Hetrampledoverprettymuchwhatevertherewasinher，Ifancy。Womendon’trecoverfromwoundsofthatsort——atleast，notwomenofEllen’sgrain。Theygoonbleedinginwardly。“
“You，atanyrate，havenotgrownmorereconciled，“MacMasterventured。
“OhIgivehimhisdues。Hewasacolorist，Igrantyou；
butthatisavagueandunsatisfactoryqualitytomarryto；LadyEllenTreffingerfounditso。“
“But，mydearLadyMary，“expostulatedMacMaster，“andjustrepressmeifI’mbecomingtoopersonal——butitmust，inthefirstplace，havebeenamarriageofchoiceonherpartaswellasonhis。“
LadyMarypoisedherglassesonherlargeforefingerandassumedanattitudesuggestiveoftheclinicallectureroomasshereplied。“Ellen，mydearboy，isanessentiallyromanticperson。Sheisquietaboutit，butsherunsdeep。I
neverknewhowdeepuntilIcameagainstherontheissueofthatmarriage。Shewasalwaysdiscontentedasagirl；shefoundthingsdullandprosaic，andtheardorofhiscourtshipwasagreeabletoher。Hemetherduringherfirstseasonintown。
Sheishandsome，andtherewereplentyofothermen，butIgrantyouyourscowlingbrigandwasthemostpicturesqueofthelot。
Inhiscourtship，asineverythingelse，hewastheatricaltothepointofbeingridiculous，butEllen’ssenseofhumorisnotherstrongestquality。Hehadthecharmofcelebrity，theairofamanwhocouldstormhiswaythroughanythingtogetwhathewanted。ThatsortofvehemenceisparticularlyeffectivewithwomenlikeEllen，whocanbewarmedonlybyreflectedheat，andshecouldn’tatallstandoutagainstit。Heconvincedherofhisnecessity；andthatdone，all’sdone。“
“Ican’thelpthinkingthat，evenonsuchabasis，themarriageshouldhaveturnedoutbetter，“MacMasterremarkedreflectively。
“Themarriage，“LadyMarycontinuedwithashrug，“wasmadeonthebasisofamutualmisunderstanding。Ellen，inthenatureofthecase，believedthatshewasdoingsomethingquiteoutoftheordinaryinacceptinghim，andexpectedconcessionswhich，apparently，itneveroccurredtohimtomake。Afterhismarriageherelapsedintohisoldhabitsofincessantwork，brokenbyviolentandoftenbrutalrelaxations。Heinsultedherfriendsandfoistedhisownuponher——manyofthemwellcalculatedtoarouseaversioninanywell-bredgirl。HehadGhilliniconstantlyatthehouse——ahomelessvagabond，whoseconversationwasimpossible。Idon’tsay，mindyou，thathehadnotgrievancesonhisside。Hehadprobablyoverratedthegirl’spossibilities，andheletherseethathewasdisappointedinher。Onlyalargeandgenerousnaturecouldhavebornewithhim，andEllen’sisnotthat。Shecouldnotatallunderstandthatodiousstrainofplebeianpridewhichplumesitselfuponnothavingrisenaboveitssources。
AsMacMasterdrovebacktohishotelhereflectedthatLadyMaryPercyhadprobablyhadgoodcausefordissatisfactionwithherbrother-in-law。Treffingerwas，indeed，thelastmanwhoshouldhavemarriedintothePercyfamily。Thesonofasmalltobacconist，hehadgrownupasign-painter’sapprentice；idle，lawless，andpracticallyletterlessuntilhehaddriftedintothenightclassesoftheAlbertLeague，whereGhillinisometimeslectured。FromthemomenthecameundertheeyeandinfluenceofthaterraticItalian，thenapoliticalexile，hislifehadswervedsharplyfromitsoldchannel。Thismanhadbeenatonceincentiveandguide，friendandmaster，tohispupil。HehadtakentherawclayoutoftheLondonstreetsandmoldeditanew。Seeminglyhehaddivinedatoncewheretheboy’spossibilitieslay，andhadthrownasideeverycanonoforthodoxinstructioninthetrainingofhim。UnderhimTreffingeracquiredhissuperficial，yetfacile，knowledgeoftheclassics；hadsteepedhimselfinthemonkishLatinandmedievalromanceswhichlatergavehisworksonaiveandremoteaquality。Thatwasthebeginningofthewattlefences，thecobblepave，thebrownroofbeams，thecunninglywroughtfabricsthatgavetohispicturessucharichnessofdecorativeeffect。
