The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-06-12
HER MASTERPIECE.
From An tho Year Round. ]

been little wiser than to interfere witt
her good opinion Of herself. Certainly, i
is sore pity TO see talent and energy suct
ne hers running to waste, for Fusain il
quite right-she has the markings Of an ar
tist-but she evidently doesn't want MI
advice, and why should l burden myself
with distasteful task! / think ! had
better let the matter rest where It is, ant
De Lastrin slashed viciously at the faller
leaves under the trees as be walked along
the boulevards. But somehow or another
he could not persuade himself TO let ths
matter rest. The task he had imposed on
himself might be distasteful, yet he had
almost craving to perform it.
Well / suppose it was sort Of 8
PROMISE" he said to himself, about ter
days later. by way Of justification for what
be felt was weakness Of mind; "end I sup
pose she was trying to remind me Of il
when she sgid SO distinctly last night IN
my hearing, that she should be at the
studio this afternoon. ] may as well &c
and get the business over and OF my
mind
Yes, said Monsieur Fusain's servant,
Miss Methuen was in the studio; would
Monsieur 10 Marquis give himself the
trouble TO enter! Which he did, to ind
Miss Methuen standing. palette and
brushes in hand, il front OF an easel, busy
laying in' the first sketch Of roguish-
faced Italian boy, who was her model on
this occasion. She looked around with an
air OF indifference.
y had given up expecting your promised
visit. y she said.
Iii is possible, y returned De Lastrin
coolly, "for ! have certainly been q long
time collecting the courage necessary TO
the OCCASION
do you intend. them asked the girl in
bantering tone. ''tc make the occasion
very formidablesn
at is always formidablen be rejoined
gravely, ITO show clever people their weak
points, Then he glanced at her work.
You said l was too vague in my remarks
the other day. he continued, $50 perhaps
bad better begin by being very explicit. !"
Certainly reioined Miss Methuen.
"Well, then. he began, the frat obser-
walton ! will mako is that you have made a
totally false start there, and that nothing
satisfactory will come Of it, Then l will
beg you to take a fresh canvas and set 20
WORK all over again"
II shink," said Miss Methuen sweetly,
shat II wosld perhaps be better if you
yourself would begin on the new canvas.
Z had far rather see what you mean about
from precept. That will floor him, = was
her reflection: "he will have to confess
himself beaten nown
But to her establishment her cousin
quietly accepted the challenge.
IF yoa wish it = he said, adjusting the
easel and taking The palettee with an air Of
familiarity which she little expected. Il
could have explained while you worked,
but you may be right in preferring exam
pie TO precept."
A few minutes work with the charcoal,
few dexterous touches with the brush,
and he was fairly launched on the WORK
and Dora. with ever increasing surprise in
her face, was watching him lntently, and
listening with deeper and deeper interest
10 his comments as he proceeded. Was this
her cynical, blase cousin, tue man for
whose pretensions she had felt herself
filed with contempts
''Oh, Gilbert, she cried, when half an
hour later she gave the model his congo
''oh, Gilbert. you are real ARTIST / had
10 idea yon could paint and teach like that
Where and when did yoa learns''
On. had fancy for such things in the
days of my youth, was his quiet reply
II studied for two or three years in Paris
with Carolus Duran"
you speak as If the days Of your youth
were centuries behind YOU" she said. He
gave o few touches TO the shadow on the
cheek OF his sketch and MADE no reply.
do you paint muchs'' she went on.
~ don't paint at all now,n be answered.
And why not.'
Its no use. The world will get on Just
as well without the works Of art might
produce"
the world may she reioined. with an
air OF wisdom, ''but you will not.
u believe,n he said dryly, II had the
same delusion myself once"
1T was not delusion, said Dora earn
estly.
There was a sense Of satisfaction creep
ing over her that she was really going to
influence this misRnthrope after all But
instead of answering her he laid down his
palette and brushes, and, resuming his
matter-of- fact tone, said:
This has been less vague, l hope: ard
now, if ] may advise you, | would suggest
that you work after this method in black
and white only for eight OF ten hours a
week al least; that is. il you wish finally
to be able 10 paint or model such heads as
Nine. Van der Heyden's."
Dora sighed.
u quite agree with you, " she said st has
been formidable interview, but chiefly
for me-"
He did not answer her; he only held out
his hand and shook hers with shade more
cordially than usual as they parted.
Then Miss Methuen sighed again.
at will be like beginning all over
again she said. Il don't believe / shall
ever have the patience. And as TO ten
hours week for black and white work.
it's simply impossible"
Nevertheless, Monsieur Fusain noticed
that Miss Methuen's afternoons in the
studio were becoming more frequent and
regular, and she herself found herself do
ing her best 70 remember aad be guided by
the rules which her self-constituted critic
hsd given her SO Unexpectedly.
The upshot Of it all being that one after
noon he rang again at Monster Fusain's
door. asked for Miss Methuen, and heard
with great satisfaction that she was TO be
found in the studio.
my youthful taste for the fire arts is re-
turning. be said by way Of apology, as be
entered. - hope you will tell me if you
regret the fact"
No, Miss Methuon gave him to under
stand, with a gracious smile. that she did
not regret it at ail-that she was even glad
to see him. He would now be abb 20 see
how much she tried to follow his advice
Would he not paint something for here Ii
was such pleasure 10 her to watch him.
And Monsieur de Lastrin allowed himself
TO be persuaded, and while he painted he
tried 10 say as much as possible OF what
be had omitted on the previous occasion.
But art, as the Latin grammars have 1t.
is long, aud the subject was BY no means
exhausted and so il came about that
the second visit led TO q third the third to
q fourth and SO on, until il was an estab-
iished thing for Monsieur de Lastrin TO in
spect and criticise Miss Methuen's work at
least once a week.
My dear Dora" said Nine. Van der
Heyden one day late in March, have you
really come TO see me agsins / was bgin-
ming to think yon had cut met
Don't scold me.p laughed Dora. IL
haven't meant to neglect anyone, but Pm
in every ones black bools.n