ook all her canvases, and set them one back of
another, but so that he could see each in nearly the same light. He
stood looking at them silently, with the two girls behind him, one at
either shoulder.

"It's as lovely as standing between two mirrors," Charmian suggested
dreamily.

"Pretty much of a sameness," Cornelia remarked.

"Mm," Ludlow made in his throat. He glanced over the shoulder next her,
and asked, as if Charmian were not there, "What makes you do her always
alike?"

"Because she _is_ always alike."

"Then I've seen her wrong," said Ludlow, and he stared at Charmian as
if she were a lay-figure. She bore his scrutiny as impassively as a
lay-figure could.

He turned again to Cornelia's sketches, and said gloomily, "I should
like to have Wetmore see these."

"Oh!" said Cornelia.

Charmian came to life with another "Oh!" and then she demanded. "When?
We must have something besides tea for Mr. Wetmore."

"I think I'll ask him to step round in the morning," said Ludlow, with
authority.

Charmian said "Oh!" again, but submitted with the eagerness of a
disciple; all phases of the art-life were equally precious, and even a
snub from such a master must be willingly accepted.

He went away and would not have any tea; he had an air of
trouble--almost of offence. "Isn't he grand, gloomy and peculiar?"
Charmian said. "I wonder what's the matter?"

She turned to Ludlow's picture which he had left standing on the chair
where he painted at it in disdain of an easel, and silently compared it
with Cornelia's sketches. Then she looked at Cornelia and gave a
dramatic start.

"What is the matter?" asked Cornelia. She came up and began to look at
the picture, too.

Charmian demanded, "Don't you see?"

"No, I don't see anything," said Cornelia, but as she looked something
became apparent which she could not deny. She blushed violently and
turned upon Charmian. "You ought to be ashamed," she began, and she
tried to take hold of her; she did not know why.

Charmian escaped, and fled to the other end of the room with a wild
laugh, and stood there. Cornelia dropped into the chair before the
picture, with her head fallen on her elbow. She seemed to be laughing,
too, and Charmian went on:

"What is there to be ashamed of? I think it's glorious. It's one of the
most romantic things I ever heard of. He simply couldn't help it, and
it proves everything I've said. Of course that was the reason he
couldn't see _me_ a