ew them.

The sight was such that it wrung an exclamation from Claude: 'Ah, good
heavens! But those paintings look very well--they were surely intended
for this.'

The Mantegna, so naively harsh in treatment, looked like some faded
coloured print nailed there for the delectation of simple-minded
folk; whilst the minutely painted stove, all awry, hanging beside
the gingerbread Christ absolving the adulterous woman, assumed an
unexpectedly gay aspect.

However, Chaine, who had just perceived the two friends, held out his
hand to them, as if he had left them merely the day before. He was calm,
neither proud nor ashamed of his booth, and he had not aged, having
still a leathery aspect; though, on the other hand, his nose had
completely vanished between his cheeks, whilst his mouth, clammy with
prolonged silence, was buried in his moustache and beard.

'Hallo! so we meet again!' said Sandoz, gaily. 'Do you know, your
paintings have a lot of effect?'

'The old humbug!' added Claude. 'Why, he has his little Salon all to
himself. That's very cute indeed.'

Chaine's face became radiant, and he dropped the remark: 'Of course!'

Then, as his artistic pride was roused, he, from whom people barely
wrung anything but growls, gave utterance to a whole sentence:

'Ah! it's quite certain that if I had had any money, like you fellows, I
should have made my way, just as you have done, in spite of everything.'

That was his conviction. He had never doubted of his talent, he had
simply forsaken the profession because it did not feed him. When he
visited the Louvre, at sight of the masterpieces hanging there he felt
convinced that time alone was necessary to turn out similar work.

'Ah, me!' said Claude, who had become gloomy again. 'Don't regret what
you've done; you alone have succeeded. Business is brisk, eh?'

But Chaine muttered bitter words. No, no, there was nothing doing, not
even in his line. People wouldn't play for prizes; all the money found
its way to the wine-shops. In spite of buying paltry odds and ends,
and striking the table with the palm of one's hand, so that the feather
might not indicate one of the big prizes, a fellow barely had water to
drink nowadays. Then, as some people had drawn near, he stopped short in
his explanation to call out: 'Walk up, walk up, at every turn you win!'
in a gruff voice which the two others had never known him to possess,
and which fairly stupefied them.

A workman who was carry