ngs. Rising from amongst the dirty litter of the
floor were lay figures: one in the frock of a Vallombrosan monk,
strangely surmounted by a helmet with barred visor, another smothered
with brocade and skins hastily tossed over it. Amongst this
heterogeneous still life, several speckled and white pigeons were
perched or strutting, too tame to fly at the entrance of men; three
corpulent toads were crawling in an intimate friendly way near the
door-stone; and a white rabbit, apparently the model for that which was
frightening Cupid in the picture of Mars and Venus placed on the central
easel, was twitching its nose with much content on a box full of bran.

"And now, Messer Greco," said Piero, making a sign to Tito that he might
sit down on a low stool near the door, and then standing over him with
folded arms, "don't be trying to see everything at once, like Messer
Domeneddio, but let me know how large you would have this same
triptych."

Tito indicated the required dimensions, and Piero marked them on a piece
of paper.

"And now for the book," said Piero, reaching down a manuscript volume.

"There's nothing about the Ariadne there," said Tito, giving him the
passage; "but you will remember I want the crowned Ariadne by the side
of the young Bacchus: she must have golden hair."

"Ha!" said Piero, abruptly, pursing up his lips again. "And you want
them to be likenesses, eh?" he added, looking down into Tito's face.

Tito laughed and blushed. "I know you are great at portraits, Messer
Piero; but I could not ask Ariadne to sit for you, because the painting
is a secret."

"There it is! I want her to sit to me. Giovanni Vespucci wants me to
paint him a picture of Oedipus and Antigone at Colonos, as he has
expounded it to me: I have a fancy for the subject, and I want Bardo and
his daughter to sit for it. Now, you ask them; and then I'll put the
likeness into Ariadne."

"Agreed, if I can prevail with them. And your price for the Bacchus and
Ariadne?"

"_Baie_! If you get them to let me paint them, that will pay me. I'd
rather not have your money: you may pay for the case."

"And when shall I sit for you?" said Tito; "for if we have one likeness,
we must have two."

"I don't want _your_ likeness; I've got it already," said Piero, "only
I've made you look frightened. I must take the fright out of it for
Bacchus."

As he was speaking, Piero laid down the book and went to look among some
paintings, propped