The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-07-14

one, had not the lady risen sud denly
appsFentlyawith the intention Of going.
Pardon, madame, I would show you
| the picture. .'ass' iSS4aA boo45
/ sat oboe, then, I am in haste. ',i'1 k.is Z
T. In another moment Henri hhd pro-
Educed from some remote corner Of tho
room, his mothers picture, and held it
up to his visitor, who raised her veil.
"How beautiful" "r'i,ssf At'9 ~
wonderfully beautiful!'' exclaimed
Henri. sl t.ytg
''I see monsieur is most enthusiastic
admirer OF himself, and mot without
cause, for certainly the painting Is very
artistic, the resemblance Of the PORTRAIT
I cannot, of course, judge of. Who. is
| it?" F,'t7.oN& GLJ
"My mother"
"Pardon my rude remark, monsieur,
I well understand your admiration >" -
"Worse and worse" thought Henri,
the more than human beauty of helady.
To paint her picture would be moro
pleasure than Henri had ever thought to
experience in his life.
Il wish you to paint my picture as
carefully as this is done. I will come
| tomorrow, and sit as often and long as
necessary. I will pay you any sum you
name to have as fine picture as this,
and L wish it at the end of two months
| Will you do it?'
''With all the pleasure in the world;
and tomorrow, if agreeable. I will name
for the first sitting"
cat what hour will you be olsen
gaged?" inquired the lady, preparing to
go.
cat any hour-I mean after 1"-added
Henri, remembering it would not do to
confess his time all his own to stranger.
"Then at g."
"At2
"Good morning, monsieur.
'Good morning, madame"
"Who and what is she? Evidently
some one with plenty of money and
nothing to do" soliloquized Henri.
"What beauty! For the first time feel
enthusiasm in my art; would tomorrow
were here" which tomorrow arrived
in due course of time, and with it the
lady.
''You see I am punctual, monsieur
'tFor which thank you, madame"
| Before we commence, think it but
right to explain my coming to you alone,
and somewhat mysteriously. lam Mile.
Hassan, the daughter of Doctor Hassan,
of whom you may have heard. We are
the only two surviving members of our
family, and what L do is very difficult to
conceal from my father. I wish to sur
prise him with picture of myself on
his birthday, which comes, strange to
say, on the same day rs mine. If went
pardon me-to any artist well known,
some of my friends would be sure to find
it out; and unless surprise him, I
would not care to give him the portrait.
| Now you know what / think was but
right you should know, and if you are
ready, we will proceed"
"Henri was bewildered and charmed
by the innocent manner in which she ex-
planned what to his mind was entirely
unnecessary. How he wished he had q
dozen portraits of her to paint, and that
she would sit for them all.
The arrangements were soon made,
an6 both were in their respective posi-
tiCns. The position was 30 new to both
that for some time they were both great
ly embarrassed. Henri was o fne-look-
ing man, and excessively fascinating in
manner. Mademoiselle Hassan was
young and beautiful, and, naturally,
both facts did not pass unnoticed by
either of them.
"May talk?" inquired mademoiselle.
"To be sure; the more natural you are
the better the portrait wi1l:be."
"But I am not naturally g chatter
box"
"You misunderstood me-"
"No; but jest"
A long silence followed the permission
to talk.
"Is not mademoiselle tired?" Henri
inquired, at the end Of an hour.
"Yes; very. Won't that do for to-
day?"
"Certainly; can continue alone"
"This is odd; but will come early to-
morrow, and stay ever so long. Good
bye"
"Good-bye."
Helene Hassan's friends would doubt
| lnss haya cpnsurpd her for her nondnnt