"I have only just time to change, and get there in time," he said, with
a very unlover-like tone of regret, as he hastily threw off his painting
blouse, ate a piece of bread left over from breakfast, and drank a glass
of wine. He glanced many times at the picture.

"Curious," he muttered, "how blind men are to their own work. I can
detect a weak point in another man's work in a moment, and yet, though I
felt that something was wrong, I could not see what it was in my own. If
I succeed as well with the other as I have done with this I shall be
satisfied indeed."

"You are a quarter of an hour late, sir," Mary said, holding up her
finger in reproof as he entered. "The idea of keeping me waiting, the
very first time after our engagement. I tremble when I look forward to
the future."

"I have been painting, Mary, and when one is painting one forgets how
time flies; but I feel greatly ashamed of myself, and am deeply
contrite."

"You don't look contrite at all, Cuthbert. Not one bit."

"Well, I will not press for forgiveness now, I think when you see what I
have been doing you will overlook the offence."

"What have you been doing? I thought you told me that you had quite
finished the two pictures, the day you came to say good-bye before you
started for Brussels."

"Rene has been criticising them and has shown me where I committed two
egregious blunders."

"Then I think it was very impertinent of him," Mary said in a tone of
vexation. "I am sure nothing could have been nicer than they were even
when I saw them, I am certain there were no blunders in them, and I
don't see how they could be improved."

"Wait until you see them again, Mary. I altered one this morning, but
the other will take me three or four days steady work. I am not so sure
of success there, but if you don't like it when you see it, I promise
you that I will restore it to its former condition, now let us be off;
if I am not mistaken there is something going on, I saw several
battalions of National Guards marching through the streets; and there is
a report that 50,000 men are to march against Versailles. We may as well
see them start, it may turn out to be an historic event."

CHAPTER XXII.

The march against Versailles did not take place on the first of April,
although the Communists had every reason to believe that they would meet
with no opposition, as on the previous night two regiments of the army,
forming the advanced guard betwee