Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-09-05

| bVtnV uOutos snsa 49,
was busy upstairs. When came down
however, / noted As once . strange
change in my husbands manner. 10
Was nervous and excited. His pale
cheeks were flushed, and strange wild
light shons In bis eyes. He swallowed
two or three glasses OF water at oul
midday meal, but scarcely ate morssl,
ard was in great hurry for me to finish
and clear the room. As soon rs this
was done he told ms that be wanted me
to sit to him at once for my portrait in
nv everyday dress, just as was.
| ".I was . little disturbed ct his ex.
cited, impatient manner; but it was q
relief to find him ready to got back to
bis work, for since he had been so in-
innate with link he had scarcely
touched q canvas. lie kept on. almost
without intermission, till dark. The
next day be was working without in
PERMISSION till noon. Then he let me
get down for q quarter Of an hour to
eat moutbful of food, but he himself
took nothing. He painted all the
afternoon till the dusk came, then he
threw himself into an easy chair and
fell asleep from sheer exhaustion.
"sI noticed on his painting.table
something which had never seen be-
fore-snd this was small vial Of clear
glass, containing bright amber-colored
liquid. In mixing the colors for my
picture he used occasionally few drops
of this medium. Somehow or other /
could not help associating this vial with
the unwonted excitement which had
possessed him all day, and was seized
with curiosity to examine it. 1 took 1t
up and removed the stopper, and, to
nv amazement, the vial grew quite hot
| in my hand, the fluid began TO effer-
vesce, and puBgent but not unpleasant
odor rose from it. l hastily replaced
the stopper, and then the bottle gradu-
ally became cool again.
"'For four or five days my husband
worked at my picture so hard that |
felt sure be would injure his health.
On the very day, almost at the very
moment, when it was finished link en-
tered the room. He was enthusiastic
in his praise of it, and predicted bril-
liant future for Vincent. had never
liked the man, but that day my aversion
to him rose to positive hatred. l can
not say was quite satisfied with the
portrait. It was maryellously like
me, and the treatment mastery all
through, but there was a look
on the face, especially about
the eyes which / am sure mine never
wore. 1t was a subtle, half-cruel, half
wanton smile, such as one sees in the
eyes of a portrait Of lady painted by
some great Italian" La Gioconda," |
think it is called. But with my hus-
band it was quite different. From the
moment that the picture was finished
be could not keep his eyes of it. In
gazing at it he seemed to forget my ex-
istence. Often missed him from my
side at night, and, on stealing down to
the studio, | found him with lighted
lamp, sitting as if in trance before
the canvas.
al cannot describe the distress |
felt at this strange change. 1t was not
merely that my self.love was wounded
and the promise Of my life bhghted.
The impending weight of some indefna-
BILE calamity seemed to crush me. !
dreaded some evil could Aeither de.
scribe nor define. How | grew to hate
that baleful picture before which he
would sit for hours l should have
been less unhappy even if | had dis
covered that he loved another woman.
60 On links recommendation lady
Of high rank came to see the picture,
and so much was she taken with it that
she gave my husband at once commits
sion to paint her portrait. She was q
handsome, gracious lady, but he treated
her with q sullen reserve, and all the
time she was sitting to him I could see
that he was only thinking of the mo-
ment when he should remove her pic
ture from the easel and sit down before
the accursed figure of myself.
"'The lady was fairly well pleased
with her portrait, hut it wanted, she
declared, the wonderful and mysterious
charm which the painter had been able
to throw into the eyes and mouth of
his wife's picture. Three or four other
ladies called, and all of them, as soon
as they saw my portrait, arranged with
my husband to sit to him. He painted
them in the same perfunctory way as
the first. The portraits were fairly
good, but the nameless charm which
they found in my picture w, wanting
in all of them.
Suddenly the idea struck me that
the use of that strange liquid in the
little vial might have enabled him to
throw that glamour and expression
into my eyes and mouth. Then / re-
membered that Vincent had used the
last drop Of the medium in giving the
final touch to my eyes, and felt almost
convinced that my notion, wild as i,
was, was not altogether visionary. l
asked him one day where he had pro-
cured the liquid, and why he did not
get some more Of it, but my question
threw him into violent rage, and he
babe me brutally to mind my own af-
fairs.
"'Zink continued his visits, but he
never stopped for chat with Vincent
now. My husband seemed to know his
ring at the bell, and he would leave his
work and rush out Of the room, CULVER
ing with excitement to open the door,
and more often than not never saw
the visitor. After a few minutes talk
outside, Vincent would return with all
his excitement quelled, and a look Of
weary despair upon his face.
"' He was so much occupied with
his portraits that he had no time for
work on subject pictures. One day,
however, l found him busy setting out
large canvas for what seemed an alle-
gorical work. link called that after
noon and stayed some time. In their
whispered conversation l heard him
mention my name but my husband
frowned and shook his head. l won
dered why, and I was not long kept in
ignorance.
80 Vincent now rarely spoke to me