, to leave him opportunities
for speaking to Paula alone. It was mostly before some print or painting
that these conversations occurred, while De Stancy was ostensibly
occupied with its merits, or in giving directions to his photographer
how to proceed. As soon as the dialogue began, the latter would withdraw
out of earshot, leaving Paula to imagine him the most deferential young
artist in the world.

'You will soon possess duplicates of the whole gallery,' she said on one
of these occasions, examining some curled sheets which Dare had printed
off from the negatives.

'No,' said the soldier. 'I shall not have patience to go on. I get
ill-humoured and indifferent, and then leave off.'

'Why ill-humoured?'

'I scarcely know--more than that I acquire a general sense of my own
family's want of merit through seeing how meritorious the people are
around me. I see them happy and thriving without any necessity for me at
all; and then I regard these canvas grandfathers and grandmothers, and
ask, "Why was a line so antiquated and out of date prolonged till now?"'

She chid him good-naturedly for such views. 'They will do you an
injury,' she declared. 'Do spare yourself, Captain De Stancy!'

De Stancy shook his head as he turned the painting before him a little
further to the light.

'But, do you know,' said Paula, 'that notion of yours of being a family
out of date is delightful to some people. I talk to Charlotte about
it often. I am never weary of examining those canopied effigies in the
church, and almost wish they were those of my relations.'

'I will try to see things in the same light for your sake,' said De
Stancy fervently.

'Not for my sake; for your own was what I meant, of course,' she replied
with a repressive air.

Captain De Stancy bowed.

'What are you going to do with your photographs when you have them?' she
asked, as if still anxious to obliterate the previous sentimental lapse.

'I shall put them into a large album, and carry them with me in my
campaigns; and may I ask, now I have an opportunity, that you would
extend your permission to copy a little further, and let me photograph
one other painting that hangs in the castle, to fittingly complete my
set?'

'Which?'

'That half-length of a lady which hangs in the morning-room. I remember
seeing it in the Academy last year.'

Paula involuntarily closed herself up. The picture was her own portrait.
'It does not belong to your series,' she said