Sister Teresa

ie's in the early spring, and all Owen's friends

aturday, the furniture, china, an

trying the springs of the sofa where I have sat so often with her. And there is the chair on which I used to sit listening to her w

pose she had to sell e

hat fellow, a great nose, lumpy shoulders, trousers too short for him, a Hebrew barrel of grease-Rosental. You know him; I bought that clock from him. He's

, however, descending to the vulgarity of shop-keeping (he would resent being called a picture-dealer), approached and insisted on S

ur immortality bein

oks, Mr. Hard

amusing story of Mr. Rowe's beginnings; and Owen forgot his sentimental trouble; but the story was inte

st interesting, I ass

st returned

Innes' concerts. If I am not mistaken yo

t returned from Italy after two year

ce between Dresden and Chelsea china. He had dabbled in politics and in journalism; he had collected hymns, ancient and modern, and Owen was not in the least surprised to hear that he had become the director of a shop for the sal

e manners," said Lady Ascott, "and Cyr

way from this cultur

table, the one on which Evelyn used to write her

tle, looking more like an umbrella than usual. Lady Ascott has engaged him for the season, and he goes o

d Harding to send his j

t subject fo

talking of Sophocles. He walks on.... I

a of yours-'Liter

oken, so pompous, that I cannot h

I wish he would leave that writing-table; and Lady

ge that she should find

ot cut their ha

ls checks or limits the current

y suffering does not prevent me from s

n; and they did not miss the embroidered waistcoat, nor the daring brown trousers (in admirable keeping withal), turned up at the ends, of course, otherwise Owen would not have felt dressed; and,

ld think he was an actor; yet no man rides better to

sionate temperament, but to charitable impulses. "She wouldn't kiss-" and Owen whispered t

elighted to see you here. But how very

ngly good in two

the room with Lady Southwick to show her a Wedgewood dessert service which he had bought

ound shaking hands with one of the dealers, a man of huge girth-"like a waggoner," Owen said, checking a reproof, bu

lls, whom-" (Harding

the most gentleman

spoke to them, Owen st

the word "Asher

are you s

er." And Harding followe

tlemanly picture-d

y wrong; I said

d say 'Sir Owen Asher';

en

not be better to drop Asher's acquaintance. But they

ctioneer's face, created, Harding thought, for the job... "looking exactly like a Roman bust. Lofty brow

t, the waste ground one meets in a city: poor Jews and dealers from the outlying streets, with here and there a possible art

esented that day," as the newspapers would put it. All the same, the pictures were not selling well, not nearly so w

endurable if one of those picture-dealers should get it; they'd come r

an excuse to come to see me. We

en pounds for it years ago; it won't go to more

ke don't talk so loud,

erts, flower and battle pieces, pathetic scenes and gallantries. There was a time when every one o

Evelyn's pictures was

pictures going to whomsoever cares to bid a few

and every one is a

es continu

and this mu

us

e the bidding began briskly, but for some unaccountable reason it died away. "Somebody must have declared it to be a forgery," Owen whispered to

yes in a face of stone searched the room for bidders. "One hundred pounds o

yonder is determined to run up the picture." Eight hundred and fifty! The auctioneer raised his hammer, and the watchful eyes went round the room in search of some one who would p

t would go over the thousand. Now, come, we hav

ith him; besides, he was anxious to see how the drawing would look on his wall. Of course it was a Boucher. Stupid rem

e enough," when his servant op

p the drawing. It look

egret having t

se in irritating the poor man? He is so much in love he hardly knows

nd looked into H

his eyes, and Harding watched him, wondering whither Owen's imagination carried him. "Is he far away in Paris, hearing her sing for the first time to Madame Savelli? Or is he standing with her looking over the bulwarks of the Medusa, seeing the sh

I am much obliged to you, Harding, for having bo

can spend your leisure in front of the picture.... Do you k

All the same, Harding, now I come to think of it, there's a good deal of that queen in Ev

reads whatever psychology one likes into the

ding's servant brought

just come, and the editor tells me he'll b

l I w

t. Correcting a proof with

while I am roving about the room. I

ot eng

earisome. "No matter what the subject of conversation may be his mind will go back to her very soon.... But to leave him alone all the evening would be selfish, and if I don't dine with

h you," he said, sitting down to t

I shall find any inter

he spoke to his friend of ruined palaces and bas-reliefs; Ow

deas, Harding; you

o him to be his destiny to relieve the tedium