Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1888-06-02

| could not avoid seeing that he received sew
eral-dealers' letters, l was sure-from art
centers-from Dresden and Munich, for in
stance. Once there was a letter bearing the
postmark of St Petersburg. This seemed
strange in man of his caliber; in man who
was not known to me. And, perhaps, be-
sides puzzling me, it little nettled me also.
My name was not altogether unknown.
Client himself had said pretty things about
his acquaintance with it. Yet / had no con-
tinental patrons, no market outside Great
| Britain.
| II had fallen in with him at Madrid or
Seville should have known what to think;
I should have set him down as one of those
copyists who live by all great galleries.
And something upon which I lit one day in
his room persuaded me for a time that this
was the case, few as were the works in
Toledo that could pay for the labor of copy
ing. 1t was a picture, and the only one I
saw at any time in his possession save the
somber landscape of which have spoken.
had run short of chrome yellow, and
hearing him go to his room followed to
ask him if he could let me have some. 81
suppose l cannot get any chrome yellow in
Toledop began before was well in the
room, ''nor anywhere nearer than Madridr
He was kneeling on the floor, but sprang
up so quickly at the sound of my voice that
[ fastened to apologize for entering with
out knocking. He did not seem, at once,
TO understand me. He had been porting
over something placed on the ground where
it would catch the best light, and his first
aim appeared to be to move SO as to hide
this from me- "What is itr' he cried harshly.
What do you wants" Even by that Light
could see that his face was pale.
my dear fellow" said, not trying to
hide my surprise, II am sorry that entered
without ceremony, and have told you So
! came in for nothing in the world but to
ask you if any chrome yellow can be got
nearer than Madrid. was so full of my
wants that, seeing the door was unlatched, l
lid not knock at it."
WAS it unlatchedr he asked, glancing at
ne askance.
l shrugged my shoulders. "Look for your
self, said curtly.
He stepped forward and saw what I had
already noticed-that the bolt was shot, but
lot into the socket. Something like stif1ed
curse escaped him He turned, muttering
that could only get the material l needed
IN Madrid
THAT is unfortunate But what have you
got herep asked, advancing a step into the
ROOM "What a capital bit Of painting 1t
is Ribera, is it nota 1t must bep' And,
forgetting in my eagerness everything save
that had before me singularly good copy
Of a fine picture, 1 actually waved him
aside when he would have interposed. mo
one but Ribera," cried, STOPPING over it,
could paint those lights and shadowsl No
one! 1t is genuine Spagnoletto for hum
dred!"
at is copy!n burst fir On him in tone of
vivid contradiction.
"a copy!" repeated after him in wonder.
"a copyi OF course it is. So l supposed.
Riberas do not grow on every bush, my
friend. meant that the original was a Ri
bera, and not merely of his school. But now
you speak of it," and l went down on my
knees, "are you so sure that it is copya
How bright are these high lights, yet how
mellow And see the depth of the coloring
here, and the tawny tone over all! By
heavens" l said, rising and facing him
abruptly, sit is not copy"
"It Isl" he cried furiously; 81 say it is!
Do Riberas grow on every bush, madmanF
The word and the passion he threw into it
sobered me at once 81 beg your pardon" 1
said II forgot myself. l am sorry for it.
But the opinion have uttered is my opinion
still And if do not make a mistake"
went on eyeing him shrewdly, sit is yours,
too. fancy, my friend, that you had just
made the discovery when came in, and that
you dared hardly to entertain it. 1t Is no
wonder that such thing threw you off your
balance"
For he was trembling still, and glancing
from me to the painting and back again in a
distraught fashion. "Yes," he said at length,
getting out his words with difficulty, 81
thought it possible, just possible, but how
very, very improbable!"
"Yes, very improbable, if, as I suppose,
you bought the picture for a copy. But
where did you get it" asked briskly. I
thought that was beginning to understand
him.
'I bought it from priest for an old song
at Almonacid."
"At Almonacidp'
He moved uneasily, as If he would have
recalled his last word But it was too late,
and he nodded assent "Then after all it
was you whom 1 saw that days" l COM
mented. "You had just bought it, sup
pose"
"Yes, had a doubt about it then"
''It is strange story, but strange things
happen" said, watching him narrowly.
at is true"
OF course I pretended to believe him, and
seeing clearly that he wished me gone l took
myself to my room. In part l did believe
him, only thought it strange that an artist
of his kidney should be so greatly ashamed Of
having outwitted an old monk; SO greatly
ashamed as to tell the story of his cleverness
in that hang dog fashion. 1t crossed my
mind that might be wrong in my Judgment
of the picture. 1t might be that the st.
Christopher was only a copy after all, and
Client himself had made it, and was even
then when broke in upon him having it out
with his conscience whether he should pass it
off for an original or not. That was possi-
BILE; but to me he had been friend in need,
and it was no business of mine.
The next day, the 18th of January, was to
be the last of my stay in Toledo. had all
but finished the sketches required, and
If the truth must be told, longed to be
away. The stiffness of the place haunted
me. hated the huge square alcazar which
lowered over all the Moorish gateways, the
hundred silent churches. By noon l had
made an end of my work, and hastily put
ting aside my materials called Jock and