ere's quite a little bit of a romance in the
story of our friendship."

"Indeed," said the military person more genially, his palate savouring
the exquisite aroma of the cigar.

Archibald smiled tenderly.

"His wife's an old flame of mine," he explained, veiling his emotion
with jocular phraseology. "An old flame, did I say? I'm still over
head and heels in love with her. But I was too late--she and John had
already made their little arrangements. And very soon after John and I
became friends, and friends we've remained to this day. Kate has two
of the loveliest girls, and I'm hanged if I'm not head over heels in
love with them as well. The younger one is a regular little
she-devil!"

"Ha! ha! ha!" guffawed the military person.

"Upon my honour she is," insisted Archibald. "Why, she flirts
outrageously with me. I'm sure I don't know how many heads the little
witch is going to turn when she grows up. And her sister, Margaret--I
couldn't tell you which of the two I like the better--has quite an
extraordinary talent for plastic art. I mean to give her a commission
before I return to my place. I'd like for one thing to have a bust of
her mother in my study--that would be so inspiring. And long ago I
took a fancy to have a nice sphinx. A thing of that kind, you know, is
good to remind one of man's intellectual limitations."

"I suppose so," said the military person, vaguely.

"Her figures are extremely lifelike. Just imagine, a thing cast in
dead bronze to have all the reality of life so that you would almost
expect it to move."

"She must be a highly-gifted young lady."

"You will scarcely credit it, my dear sir, but she is only
nineteen--on my word of honour," said Archibald with growing
enthusiasm. "Only the other day she sold two of her things for
twenty-five pounds apiece. Twenty-five pounds apiece!" he repeated
slowly, as if that represented to him a gigantic amount. "The examples
are to be strictly limited to sixty of each, after which the moulds
are to be destroyed. They are both magnificent pieces of work. Why,
you fancy you almost hear Chiron's voice and the twanging of his
harp."

"Indeed," said the military person.

"She is perfectly sweet and beautiful as well as clever," went on
Archibald. "Now my dog of a boy, between ourselves--ha! ha! ha!----"

"He's a bit smitten?" suggested the military person.

Archibald laughed gleefully. "And I fancy that a certain clever young
lady of nineteen who kno