y tried to look neither
elated nor snubbed. "I've too much still to learn, but I'm learning
every day, and I shall have learnt immensely this afternoon."

"Pretty well at my expense, however," Lord Theign laughed, "if you
demolish a name we've held for generations so dear."

"You may have held the name dear, my lord," his young critic answered;
"but my whole point is that, if I'm right, you've held the picture
itself cheap."

"Because a Mantovano," said Lord John, "is so much greater a value?"

Hugh met his eyes a moment "Are you talking of values pecuniary?"

"What values are _not_ pecuniary?"

Hugh might, during his hesitation, have been imagined to stand off a
little from the question. "Well, some things have in a higher degree
that one, and some have the associational or the factitious, and some
the clear artistic."

"And some," Mr. Bender opined, "have them _all_--in the highest degree.
But what you mean," he went on, "is that a Mantovano would come higher
under the hammer than a Moretto?"

"Why, sir," the young man returned, "there aren't any, as I've just
stated, _to_ 'come.' I account--or I easily can--for every one of the
very small number."

"Then do you consider that you account for this one?"

"I believe I shall if you'll give me time."

"Oh, time!" Mr. Bender impatiently sighed. "But we'll give you all we've
got--only I guess it isn't much." And he appeared freely to invite their
companions to join in this estimate. They listened to him, however, they
watched him, for the moment, but in silence, and with the next he had
gone on: "How much higher--if your idea is correct about it--would Lord
Theign's picture come?"

Hugh turned to that nobleman. "Does Mr. Bender mean come to _him_, my
lord?"

Lord Theign looked again hard at Hugh, and then harder than he had done
yet at his other invader. "I don't know _what_ Mr. Bender means!" With
which he turned off.

"Well, I guess I mean that it would come higher to me than to any one!
But how _much_ higher?" the American continued to Hugh.

"How much higher to _you?_"

"Oh, I can size _that_. How much higher as a Mantovano?"

Unmistakably--for us at least--our young man was gaining time; he had
the instinct of circumspection and delay. "To any one?"

"To any one."

"Than as a Moretto?" Hugh continued.

It even acted on Lord John's nerves. "That's what we're talking
about--really!"

But Hugh still took his ease; as if, with his eyes first on