eed that
neither I nor my mother had received any return in the shape of pleasure
in contemplating the work, which had deteriorated considerably by the
fading of the colors since its purchase. At last I went to Brown's
studio with the picture, and told him that it was worth nothing to me,
as I thought it a particularly bad one, and that he might have it back
again for fifteen pounds, half the first price. He at once told me that
I could get from any dealer more for it than he could afford to give me;
but he told me too that I had no right to make a profit out of his work,
and that he would give me the original price of thirty pounds. I took
it, and then sent him the man who had offered me the eight hundred.
To my discomfiture Brown refused to sell it on any terms, because he
considered it unworthy of his reputation. The man bid up to fifteen
hundred, but Brown held out; and I found that instead of putting seven
hundred and seventy pounds into his pocket I had taken thirty out of
it. I accordingly offered to return the thirty pieces. Brown, taking the
offer as an insult, declined all further communication with me. I then
insisted on the matter being submitted to arbitration, and demanded
fifteen hundred pounds as the full exchange value of the picture. All
the arbitrators agreed that this was monstrous, whereupon I contended
that if they denied my right to the value in exchange, they must admit
my right to the value in use. They assented to this after putting off
their decision for a fortnight in order to read Adam Smith and discover
what on earth I meant by my values in use and exchange. I now showed
that the picture had no value in use to me, as I disliked it, and that
therefore I was entitled to nothing, and that Brown must take back the
thirty pounds. They were glad to concede this also to me, as they were
all artist friends of Brown, and wished him not to lose money by the
transaction, though they of course privately thought that the picture
was, as I described it, a bad one. After that Brown and I became very
good friends. He tolerated my advances, at first lest it should seem
that he was annoyed by my disparagement of his work. Subsequently he
fell into my views much as you have done."

"That is very interesting," said Sir Charles. "What a noble
thing--refusing fifteen hundred pounds! He could ill afford it,
probably."

"Heroic--according to nineteenth century notions of heroism. Voluntarily
to throw away a chan