WhenLichtensteininsisteduponhavingLadyEllenTreffinger’saddressJamesrosetothepointofinsolence。“Itayn’tnousetogiveit，noway。LydyTreffingerneverhasnothinktodowithdealers。“MacMasterquietlyrepentedhisrashconfidences，fearingthathemightindirectlycauseLadyEllenannoyancefromthismercilessspeculator，andherecalledwithchagrinthatLichtensteinhadextortedfromhim，littlebylittle，prettymuchtheentireplanofhisbook，andespeciallytheplaceinitwhichtheMarriageofPhaedrawastooccupy。
BythistimethefirstchaptersofMacMaster’sbookwereinthehandsofhispublisher，andhisvisitstothestudiowerenecessarilylessfrequent。ThegreaterpartofhistimewasnowemployedwiththeengraverswhoweretoreproducesuchofTreffinger’spicturesasheintendedtouseasillustrations。
HereturnedtohishotellateoneeveningafteralongandvexingdayattheengraverstofindJamesinhisroom，seatedonhissteamertrunkbythewindow，withtheoutlineofagreatsquaredrapedinsheetsrestingagainsthisknee。
“Why，James，what’sup？“hecriedinastonishment，glancinginquiringlyatthesheetedobject。
“Ayn’tyouseenthepypers，sir？“jerkedouttheman。
“No，nowIthinkofit，Ihaven’tevenlookedatapaper。I’vebeenattheengravers’plantallday。Ihaven’tseenanything。“
JamesdrewacopyoftheTimesfromhispocketandhandedittohim，pointingwithatragicfingertoaparagraphinthesocialcolumn。ItwasmerelytheannouncementofLadyEllenTreffinger’sengagementtoCaptainAlexanderGresham。
“Well，whatofit，myman？Thatsurelyisherprivilege。“
Jamestookthepaper，turnedtoanotherpage，andsilentlypointedtoaparagraphintheartnoteswhichstatedthatLadyTreffingerhadpresentedtotheX——gallerytheentirecollectionofpaintingsandsketchesnowinherlatehusband’sstudio，withtheexceptionofhisunfinishedpicture，theMarriageOfPhaedra，whichshehadsoldforalargesumtoanAustraliandealerwhohadcometoLondonpurposelytosecuresomeofTreffinger’spaintings。
MacMasterpurseduphislipsandsatdown，hisovercoatstillon。“Well，James，thisissomethingofa——somethingofajolt，eh？Itneveroccurredtomeshe’dreallydoit。“
“Lord，youdon’tknow’er，sir，“saidJamesbitterly，stillstaringatthefloorinanattitudeofabandoneddejection。
MacMasterstartedupinaflashofenlightenment，“Whatonearthhaveyougotthere，James？It’snot-surelyit’snot——“
Yes，itis，sir，“brokeinthemanexcitedly。“It’stheMarriageitself。Itayn’tagoingtoH’Australia，no’ow！“
“Butman，whatareyougoingtodowithit？It’sLichtenstein’spropertynow，asitseems。“
Itayn’t，sir，thatitayn’t。No，byGawd，itayn’t！“
shoutedJames，breakingintoachokingfury。Hecontrolledhimselfwithaneffortandaddedsupplicatingly:“Oh，sir，youayn’tagoingtoseeitgotoH’Australia，w’eretheysendconvic’s？“HeunpinnedandflungasidethesheetsasthoughtoletPhaedrapleadforherself。
MacMastersatdownagainandlookedsadlyatthedoomedmasterpiece。ThenotionofJameshavingcarrieditacrossLondonthatnightratherappealedtohisfancy。Therewascertainlyaflavoraboutsuchahighhandedproceeding。“Howeverdidyougetithere？“hequeried。
“Igotafour-wheelerandcomeoverdirect，sir。GoodjobI
’appenedto’avethechayngeaboutme。“
“YoucameupHighStreet，upPiccadilly，throughtheHaymarketandTrafalgarSquare，andintotheStrand？“queriedMacMasterwitharelish。
“Yes，sir。Ofcourse，sir，“assentedJameswithsurprise。
MacMasterlaugheddelightedly。“Itwasabeautifulidea，James，butI’mafraidwecan’tcarryitanyfurther。“
“Iwasthinkin’as’owitwouldbeararechancetogetyoutotaketheMarriageovertoParisforayearortwo，sir，untilthethingblowsover？“suggestedJamesblandly。
“I’mafraidthat’soutofthequestion，James。Ihaven’ttherightstuffinmeforapirate，orevenavulgarsmuggler，I’mafraid。“MacMasterfounditsurprisinglydifficulttosaythis，andhebusiedhimselfwiththelampashesaidit。HeheardJames’shandfallheavilyonthetrunktop，andhediscoveredthatheverymuchdislikedsinkingintheman’sestimation。
“Well，sir，“remarkedJamesinamoreformaltone，afteraprotractedsilence；“thenthere’snothinkforitbutas’owI’ll’avetomakewaywithitmyself。“
“Andhowaboutyourcharacter，James？Theevidencewouldbeheavyagainstyou，andevenifLadyTreffingerdidn’tprosecuteyou’dbedonefor。“
“Blowmycharacter！——yourpardon，sir，“criedJames，startingtohisfeet。“W’atdoIwantofacharacter？I’llchuckthe’olething，anddamnedlively，too。Theshop’stobesoldout，an’myplaceisgoneany’ow。I’magoingtoenlist，ortrythegoldfields。I’velivedtoolongwithh’artists；I’dnevergivesatisfactioninliverynow。Youknow’owitisyourself，sir；
thereayn’tnolifelikeit，no’ow。“
ForamomentMacMasterwasalmostequaltoabettingJamesinhistheft。Hereflectedthatpictureshadbeenwhitewashed，orhiddeninthecryptsofchurches，orunderthefloorsofpalacesfrommeanermotives，andtosavethemfromafatelessignominious。Butpresently，withasigh，heshookhishead。
“No，James，itwon’tdoatall。Ithasbeentriedoverandoveragain，eversincetheworldhasbeenagoingandpicturesamaking。ItwastriedinFlorenceandinVenice，butthepictureswerealwayscarriedawayintheend。Yousee，thedifficultyisthatalthoughTreffingertoldyouwhatwasnottobedonewiththepicture，hedidnotsaydefinitelywhatwastobedonewithit。DoyouthinkLadyTreffingerreallyunderstandsthathedidnotwantittobesold？“
“Well，sir，itwaslikethis，sir，“saidJames，resuminghisseatonthetrunkandagainrestingthepictureagainsthisknee。“Mymemoryisasclearasglassaboutit。AfterSir’Ughgotupfrom’isfirststroke，’etookafreshstartattheMarriage。
Beforethat’e’adbeenworkingatitonlyatnightforawhileback；theLegendwasthebigpicturethen，an’wasunderthenorthlightw’ere’eworkedofamorning。Butoneday’ebidmetaketheLegenddownan’puttheMarriageinitsplace，an’’esays，dashin’on’isjacket，’Jymes，thisisastartforthefinish，thistime。’
“Fromthaton’eworkedatthenightpictureinthemornin’——athingcontraryto’iscustom。TheMarriagewentwrong，andwrong——an’Sir’Ughagettin’seedieran’seediereveryday。’E
triedmodelsan’models，an’smudgedan’pyntedoutonaccountof’erfacegoin’wrongintheshadow。Sometimes’elayeditonthecolors，an’sworeatmean’thingsingeneral。Hegotthatdiscouragedabout’imselfthaton’islowdays’eusedtosaytome:’Jymes，rememberonething；ifanythink’appenstome，theMarriageisnottogooutof’ereunfinished。It’sworththelotof’em，myboy，an’it’snotagoingtogoshabbyforlackofpains。’’Esaidthingstothateffectrepeated。
“Hewasworkin’atthepicturethelastday，before’ewentto’isclub。’Ekeptthecarriagewaitin’nearanhourwhile’eputonastrokean’thendrawedbackfortolookatit，an’thenputonanother，carefullike。After’e’ad’isgloveson，’ecomebackan’tookawaythebrushesIwasstartin’toclean，an’
putinanothertouchortwo。’It’sacomin’，Jymes，’’esays，’bygadifitayn’t。’An’withthat’egoesout。Itwascruelsudden，w’atcomeafter。
“ThatnightIwaslookin’to’isclothesatthe’ousewhentheybrought’im’ome。Hewasconscious，butw’enIrandownstairsforto’elplift’imup，Iknowed’ewasafinishedman。Afterwegot’imintobed’ekeptlookin’restlessatmeandthenatLydyEllingandajerkin’of’is’and。Finally’equiteraiseditan’shot’isthumbouttowardthewall。’Hewantswater；ring，Jymes，’saysLydyElling，placid。ButI
knowed’ewaspointin’totheshop。
“’LydyTreffinger，’saysI，bold，’he’spointin’tothestudio。HemeansabouttheMarriage；’etoldmetodayas’ow’eneverwanteditsoldunfinished。Isthatit，Sir’Ugh？’
“Hesmiledan’noddedslightan’closed’iseyes。’Thankyou，Jymes，’saysLydyElling，placid。Then’eopened’iseyesan’lookedlongand’ardatLydyElling。
“’OfcourseI’lltrytodoasyou’dwishaboutthepicture，’Ugh，ifthat’sw’at’stroublin’you，’shesaysquiet。Withthat’eclosed’iseyesand’eneveropened’em。Hediedunconsciousatfourthatmornin’。
“Yousee，sir，LydyEllingwasalwayscruel’ardontheMarriage。Fromthefirstitwentwrong，an’Sir’Ughwasoutoftemperprettyconstant。Shecameintothestudioonedayandlookedatthepicturean’asked’imwhy’edidn’tthrowitupan’quitaworriting’imself。Heansweredsharp，an’withthatshesaidas’owshedidn’tseew’attherewastomakesucharowabout，no’ow。Shespoke’ermindaboutthatpicture，free；an’
Sir’Ughswore’otan’leta’andfulofbrushesflyat’isstudy，an’LydyEllingpickedup’erskirtscarefulan’chill，an’
driftedoutofthestudiowith’ereyescalmand’erchin’igh。
IftherewasonethingLydyElling’adnocomprehensionof，itwastheusefulnessofswearin’。SotheMarriagewasasorethingbetween’em。Sheisuncommoncalm，butuncommonbitter，isLydyElling。She’snevercomeanearthestudiosincethatdayshewentout’oldin’upof’erskirts。W’en’erfriendsgoesoversheexcuses’erselfalongo’thestrain。Strain——Gawd！“Jamesgroundhiswrathshortinhisteeth。
“I’lltellyouwhatI’lldo，James，andit’souronlyhope。I’llseeLadyEllentomorrow。TheTimessaysshereturnedtoday。
Youtakethepicturebacktoitsplace，andI’lldowhatIcanforit。Ifanythingisdonetosaveit，itmustbedonethroughLadyEllenTreffingerherself，thatmuchisclear。Ican’tthinkthatshefullyunderstandsthesituation。Ifshedid，youknow，shereallycouldn’thaveanymotive——“Hestoppedsuddenly。
