with no weed or sign of untidiness or neglect anywhere.

The two men had come upon the spot so suddenly--so unexpectedly--the
contrast with the neglected grounds and buildings was so marked--that they
looked at each other in silence. The little retreat--so lovely, so hidden
by its own beauty from the world, so cared for by careful hands--seemed
haunted by an invisible spirit. Very quietly,--almost reverently,--they
moved about; talking in low tones, as though half expecting--they knew not
what.

"Some one loves this place," said the novelist, softly, when they stood,
again, in the entrance.

And the artist answered in the same hushed voice, "I wonder what it
means?"

When they were again in the barn, Aaron King became eagerly enthusiastic
over the possibilities of the big room. "Some rightly toned burlap on the
walls and ceiling,"--he pointed out,--"with floor covering and rugs in
harmony; there"--rolling back the big door as he spoke--"your north light;
some hangings and screens to hide the stairway to the loft, and the stable
door; your entrance over here in the corner, nicely out of the way; and
the window looking into the garden--it's great man, great!"

"And," answered Conrad Lagrange, from where he stood in the big front
door, "the mountains! Don't forget the mountains. The soft, steady, north
light on your canvas, and a message from the mountains to your soul,
through the same window, should make it a good place to work, Mr.
Painter-man. I suppose over here"--he moved away from the window, and
spoke in his mocking way--"over here, you will have a tea-table for the
ladies of the circle elect--who will come to, 'oh', and, 'ah', their
admiration of the newly discovered genius, and to chatter their
misunderstandings of his art. Of course, there will be a page in velvet
and gold. By all means, get hold of an oriental kid of some kind--oriental
junk is quite the rage this year. You should take advantage of every
influence that can contribute to your success, you know. And, whatever you
do, don't fail to consult the 'Goddess' about these essentials of your
craft. Many a promising genius has been lost to fame, through inviting the
wrong people to take tea in his studio. But"--he finished whimsically,
looking from the window into the garden--"but what the devil do you
suppose the spirit who lives out there will think about it all."

* * * * *

The days of the two following weeks were