er continued, "is to refuse that Moretto."

"Has it deplorably been _offered_ you?" our young man cried,
unmistakably and sincerely affected. After which he went on, as his
fellow-visitor only eyed him hard, not, on second thoughts, giving
the owner of the great work away: "Then why are you--as if you were a
banished Romeo--so keen for news from Verona?" To this odd mixture of
business and literature Mr. Bender made no reply, contenting himself
with but a large vague blandness that wore in him somehow the mark of
tested utility; so that Hugh put him another question: "Aren't you here,
sir, on the chance of the Mantovano?"

"I'm here," he then imperturbably said, "because Lord Theign has wired
me to meet him. Ain't you here for that yourself?"

Hugh betrayed for a moment his enjoyment of a "big" choice of answers.
"Dear, no! I've but been in, by Lady Sandgate's leave, to see that grand
Lawrence."

"Ah yes, she's very kind about it--one does go 'in.'" After which Mr.
Bender had, even in the atmosphere of his danger, a throb of curiosity.
"Is any one _after_ that grand Lawrence?"

"Oh, I hope not," Hugh laughed, "unless you again dreadfully are:
wonderful thing as it is and so just in its right place there."

"You call it," Mr. Bender impartially inquired, "a _very_ wonderful
thing?"

"Well, as a Lawrence, it has quite bowled me over"--Hugh spoke as for
the strictly aesthetic awkwardness of that. "But you know I take my
pictures hard." He gave a punch to his hat, pressed for time in this
connection as he was glad truly to appear to his friend. "I must make my
little _rapport_." Yet before it he did seek briefly to explain. "We're
a band of young men who care--and we watch the great things. Also--for I
must give you the real truth about myself--we watch the great people."

"Well, I guess I'm used to being watched--if that's the worst you can
do." To which Mr. Bender added in his homely way: "But you know, Mr.
Crimble, what I'm _really_ after."

Hugh's strategy on this would again have peeped out for us. "The man in
this morning's 'Journal' appears at least to have discovered."

"Yes, the man in this morning's 'Journal' has discovered three or four
weeks--as it appears to take you here for everything--after my beginning
to talk. Why, they knew I was talking _that_ time ago on the other
side."

"Oh, they know things in the States," Hugh cheerfully agreed, "so
independently of their happening! But you must have ta