ests. Ludlow's world found it altogether fit and intelligible that
he should give up trying to paint Charmian if he had failed to get his
picture of her, and thought he could not get it. Mrs. Maybough's world
regarded it as a breach of contract for him not to do what he had
undertaken. She had more trouble to reconcile her friends to his
behavior than she had in justifying it to herself. Through Charmian she
had at least a second-hand appreciation of motives and principles that
were instantly satisfactory to the girl and to all her comrades at the
Synthesis; they accepted it as another proof of Ludlow's greatness that
he should frankly own he had missed his picture of her, and they
exalted Charmian as a partner in his merit, for being so impossible.
The arguments of Wetmore went for something with Mrs. Maybough, though
they were mainly admissions to the effect that Ludlow was more of a
crank than he had supposed, and would have to be humored in a case of
the kind; but it was chiefly the courage and friendship of Mrs. Westley
that availed. She enforced what she had to say in his behalf with the
invitation to her January Thursdays which she had brought. She had
brought it in person because she wished to beg Mrs. Maybough to let her
daughter come with her friend, Miss Saunders, and pour tea at the first
of the Thursdays.

"I got you off," she said to Ludlow, when they met, "but it was not
easy. She still thinks you ought to have let her see your last attempt,
and left her to decide whether it was good or not."

Mrs. Westley showed her amusement at this, but Ludlow answered gravely
that there was a certain reason in the position. "If she's disappointed
in not having any portrait, though," he added, "she had better take
Miss Saunders's."

"Do you really mean that?" Mrs. Westley asked, with more or less of
that incredulity concerning the performance of a woman which all the
sex feel, in spite of their boasting about one another. "Has she so
much talent?"

"Why not? Somebody has to have the talent."

This was like Wetmore's tone, and it made Mrs. Westley think of him.
"And do you believe she could get her picture into the exhibition?"

"Has Wetmore been talking to you about it?"

"Yes."

"I don't know," said Ludlow. "That was Wetmore's notion."

"And does she know about it?"

"I mentioned it to her."

"It would be a great thing for her if she could get her picture in--and
sell it."

"Yes," Ludlow dryly admitted