ng, Hazard began
to dominate her will. She felt a little uneasy until he had seen and
approved her work. More than once he disapproved, and then she had to do
it over again. She began at length to be conscious of this impalpable
tyranny, and submitted to it only because she felt her own dependence
and knew that in a few days more she should be free. If he had been
clerical or dogmatic, she might have resented it and the charm would
have broken to pieces on the spot, but he was for the time a painter
like herself, as much interested in the art, and caring for nothing
else.

Towards Christmas the great work was finished, and the same party that
had met a month before at Strong's rooms, came together again in
Esther's studio to sit upon and judge the portrait they had suggested.
Mr. Dudley, with some effort, climbed up from his library; Mrs. Murray
again acted as chaperon, and even Mr. Murray, whose fancy for pictures
was his only known weakness, came to see what Esther had made of
Catherine. The portrait was placed in a light that showed all its best
points and concealed as far as possible all its weak ones; and Esther
herself poured out tea for the connoisseurs.

To disapprove in such a company was not easy, but Wharton was equal to
the task. He never compromised his convictions on such matters even to
please his hosts, and in consequence had given offense to most of the
picture-owners in the city of New York. He showed little mercy now to
Esther, and perhaps his attack might have reduced her courage to
despair, had she not found a champion who took her defense wholly on his
own shoulders. It happened that Wharton attacked parts of the treatment
for which Hazard was responsible, and when Hazard stepped into the
lists, avowing that he had advised the work and believed it to be good,
Esther was able to retire from the conflict and to leave the two men
fighting a pitched battle over the principles of art. Hazard defended
and justified every portion of the painting with a vigor and resource
quite beyond Esther's means, and such as earned her lively gratitude.
When he had reduced Wharton to silence, which was not a difficult task,
for Wharton was a poor hand at dispute or argument, and felt rather than
talked, Mr. Hazard turned to Esther who gave him a look of gratitude
such as she had rarely conferred on any of his sex.

"I think we have ground him to powder at last," said Hazard with his
boyish laugh of delight.

"I ne