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。