habit of using or listening to such language。 Agatha； stimulated
by this； continued：
〃Here are you and I； who consider ourselves twice as presentable
and conversable as she； two old maids。〃 Gertrude winced； and
Agatha hastened to add： 〃Why； as for you； you are perfectly
lovely！ And she has asked us down expressly to marry us。〃
〃She would not presume〃
〃Nonsense； my dear Gertrude。 She thinks that we are a couple of
fools who have mismanaged our own business； and that she； having
managed so well for herself； can settle us in a jiffy。 Come； did
she not say to you； before I came； that it was time for me to be
getting married？〃
〃Well； she did。 But〃
〃She said exactly the same thing to me about yon when she invited
me。〃
〃I would leave her house this moment；〃 said Gertrude； 〃if I
thought she dared meddle in my affairs。 What is it to her whether
I am married or not？〃
〃Where have you been living all these years； if you do not know
that the very first thing a woman wants to do when she has made a
good match is to make ones for all her spinster friends。 Jane
does not mean any harm。 She does it out of pure benevolence。〃
〃I do not need Jane's benevolence。〃
〃Neither do I； but it doesn't do any harm； and she is welcome to
amuse herself by trotting out her male acquaintances for my
approval。 Hush！ Here she comes。〃
Gertrude subsided。 She could not quarrel with Lady Brandon
without leaving the house； and she could not leave the house
without returning to her home。 But she privately resolved to
discourage the attentions of Erskine； suspecting that instead of
being in love with her as he pretended； he had merely been
recommended by Jane to marry her。
Chichester Erskine had made sketches in Palestine with Sir
Charles； and had tramped with him through many European picture
galleries。 He was a young man of gentle birth； and had inherited
fifteen hundred a year from his mother； the bulk of the family
property being his elder brother's。 Having no profession； and
being fond of books and pictures； he had devoted himself to fine
art； a pursuit which offered him on the cheapest terms a high
opinion of the beauty and capacity of his own nature。 He had
published a tragedy entitled； 〃The Patriot Martyrs；〃 with an
etched frontispiece by Sir Charles； and an edition of it had been
speedily disposed of in presentations to the friends of the
artist and poet； and to the reviews and newspapers。 Sir Charles
had asked an eminent tragedian of his acquaintance to place the
work on the stage and to enact one of the patriot martyrs。 But
the tragedian had objected that the other patriot martyrs had
parts of equal importance to that proposed for him。 Erskine had
indignantly refused to cut these parts down or out； and so the
project had fallen through。
Since then Erskine had been bent on writing another drama；
without regard to the exigencies of the stage； but he had not yet
begun it； in consequence of his inspiration coming upon him at
inconvenient hours； chiefly late at night； when he had been
drinking； and had leisure for sonnets only。 The morning air and
bicycle riding were fatal to the vein in which poetry struck him
as being worth writing。 In spite of the bicycle； however； the
drama； which was to be entitled 〃Hypatia；〃 was now in a fair way
to be written； for the poet had met and fallen in love with
Gertrude Lindsay； whose almost Grecian features； and some
knowledge of the different calculua which she had acquired at
Alton； helped him to believe that she was a fit model for his
heroine。
When the ladies came downstairs they found their host and Erskine
in the picture gallery； famous in the neighborhood for the sum it
had cost Sir Charles。 There was a new etching to be admired； and
they were called on to observe what the baronet called its tones；
and what Agatha would have called its degrees of smudginess。 Sir
Charles's attention often wandered from this work of art。 He
looked at his watch twice； and said to his wife：
〃I have ordered them to be punctual with the luncheon。〃
〃Oh； yes； it's all right；〃 said Lady Brandon； who had given
orders that luncheon was not to be served until the arrival of
another gentleman。 〃Show Agatha the picture of the man in the〃
〃Mr。 Trefusis；〃 said a servant。
Mr。 Trefusis； still in snuff color； entered； coat unbuttoned and
attention unconstrained； exasperatingly unconscious of any
occasion for ceremony。
〃Here you are at last；〃 said Lady Brandon。 〃You know everybody；
don't you？〃
〃How do you do？〃 said Sir Charles； offering his hand as a severe
expression of his duty to his wife's guest； who took it
cordially； nodded to Erskine； looked without recognition at
Gertrude； whose frosty stillness repudiated Lady Brandon's
implication that the stranger was acquainted with her； and turned
to Agatha； to whom he bowed。 She made no sign； she was paralyzed。
Lady Brandon reddened with anger。 Sir Charles noted his guest's
reception with secret satisfaction； but shared the embarrassment
which oppressed all present except Trefusis； who seemed quite
indifferent and assured； and unconsciously produced an impression
that the others had not been equal to the occasion； as indeed
they had not。
〃We were looking at some etchings when you came in；〃 said Sir
Charles； hastening to break the silence。 〃Do you care for such
things？〃 And he handed him a proof。
Trefusis looked at it as if he had never seen such a thing before
and did not quite know what to make of it。 〃All these scratches
seem to me to have no meaning；〃 he said dubiously。
Sir Charles stole a contemptuous smile and significant glance at
Erskine。 He； seized already with an instinctive antipathy to
Trefusis； said emphatically：
〃There is not one of those scratches that has not a meaning。〃
〃That one； for instance； like the limb of a daddy…long…legs。 What
does that mean？〃
Erskine hesitated a moment； recovered himself； and said：
〃Obviously enoughto me at leastit indicates the marking of
the roadway。〃
〃Not a bit of it；〃 said Trefusis。 〃There never was such a mark as
that on a road。 It may be a very bad attempt at a briar； but
briars don't straggle into the middle of roads frequented as that
one seems to bejudging by those overdone ruts。〃 He put the
etching away； showing no disposition to look further into the
portfolio； and remarked； 〃The only art that interests me is
photography。〃
Erskine and Sir Charles again exchanged glances； and the former
said：
〃Photography is not an art in the sense in which I understand the
term。 It is a process。〃
〃And a much less troublesome and more perfect process than that；〃
said Trefusis； pointing to the etching。 〃The artists are sticking
to the old barbarous； difficult； and imperfect processes of
etching and portrait painting merely to keep up the value of
their monopoly of the required skill。 They have left the new；
more complexly organized； and more perfect； yet simple and
beautiful method of photography in the hands of tradesmen；
sneering at it publicly and resorting to its aid surreptitiously。
The result is that the tradesmen are becoming better artists than
they； and naturally so； for where； as in photography； the drawing
counts for nothing； the thought and judgment count for
everything； whereas in the etching and daubing processes； where
great manual skill is needed to produce anything that the eye can
endure； the execution counts for more than the thought； and if a
fellow only fit to carry bricks up a ladder or the like has
ambition and perseverance enough to train his hand and push into
the van； you cannot afford to put him back into his proper place；
because thoroughly trained hands are so scarce。 Consider the
proof of this that you have in literature。 Our books are manually
the work of printers and papermakers； you may cut an author's
hand off and he is as good an author as before。 What is the
result？ There is more imagination in any number of a penny
journal than in half…a…dozen of the Royal Academy rooms in the
season。 No author can live by his work and be as empty…headed as
an average successful painter。 Again； consider our implements of
musicour pianofortes； for example。 Nobody but an acrobat will
voluntarily spend years at such a difficult mechanical puzzle as
the keyboard； and so we have to take our impressions of
Beethoven's sonatas from acrobats who vie with each other in the
rapidity of their prestos； or the staying power of their left
wrists。 Thoughtful men will not spend their lives acquiring
sleight…of…hand。 Invent a piano which will respond as delicately
to the turning of a handle as our present ones do to the pressure
of the fingers； and the acrobats will be driven back to their
carpets and trapezes； because the sole faculty necessary to the
executant musician will be the musical faculty； and no other will
enable him to obtain a hearing。〃
The company were somewhat overcome by this unexpected lecture。
Sir Charles； feeling that such views bore adversely on him； and
were somehow iconoclastic and low…lived； was about to make a
peevish retort； when Erskine forestalled him by asking Trefusis
what idea he had formed of the future of the arts。 He replied
promptly。 〃Photography perfected in its recently discovered power
of reproducing color as well as form！ Historical pictures
replaced by photographs of tableaux vivants formed and arranged
by trained actors and artists； and used chiefly for the
instruction of children。 Nine…tenths of painting as we understand
it at present extinguished by the competition of these
photographs； and the remaining tenth only holding its own against
them by dint of extraordinary excellence！ Our mistuned and
unplayable organs and pianofortes replaced by harmonious
instruments； as manageable as barrel organs！ Works of fiction
superseded by interesting company and conversation； and made
obsolete by the human mind outgrowing the childishness that
delights in the tales told by grownup children such as novelists
and their like！ An end to the silly confusion； under the one name
of Art； of the tomfoolery and make…believe of our play…hours with
the higher methods of teaching men to know themselves！ Every
artist an amateur； and a consequent