on to suppose it was Federico
Madrazo.

Fortuny's two years in Rome had just expired; his Barcelona friends knew
that the time had been well spent, and the opportunities improved, and a
further transplantation they believed would result in an increased
blossoming.

"Enter into life! Enter into life!" was the call of a prophet long ago.
In barbaric Africa, Fortuny entered into life with the same fine, free,
eager, receptive spirit that he had elsewhere shown. General Prim,
soldier and scholar, saw that his secretary was capable of doing
something more than keeping accounts, and so a substitute was hired and
Fortuny was sent here and there as messenger, but in reality, so that he
could see as many sides of old Moorish life as possible.

Staid old General Prim loved the young man just as Madrazo had. Fortuny
was not much of a soldier, for war did not interest him, save from its
picturesque side. "War is transient, but Beauty is eternal," he once
said.

Even the fact that the Spanish Army was now on the soil of her ancient
enemy, the Moor, did not stir his patriotism.

He sketched with feverish industry, fearing the war would end too soon,
and he would have to go back with empty sketchbooks. The long stretches
of white sands, the glaring sunshine, the paradox of riotous riches and
ragged poverty, the veiled women, blinking camels, long rifles with butts
inlaid with silver, swords whose hilts are set with precious stones, gray
Arab horses with tails sweeping the ground, and everywhere the flutter of
rags--these things bore in on his artist-nature and filled his heart.

He hastily painted in a few of his sketches and sent them as presents to
his friends in Barcelona.

The very haste of the work, the meager outline and simple colors--glaring
whites and limpid blues, with here and there a dash of red to indicate a
scarf or sash--astonished his old teachers. Here were pictures painted in
an hour that outmatched any of the carefully worked out, methodical
attempts of the Academy! It was all life, life, life--palpitating life.

The sketches were shown, the men in power interviewed, and the city of
Barcelona ordered Fortuny to paint one large picture to be eventually
placed in the Parliament House to commemorate the victory of General
Prim.

As an earnest of good faith a remittance of five hundred dollars
accompanied the order.

The war was short. At the battle of Wad Ras the enemy was routed after a
pitched fight wher