The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1897-06-25

the streets of that west-country me-
tropolis. He was a man who could
not fail to attract attention, by reason
both Of his striking old-fashioned at
tire-of the style which John Leech
has made immortal-and of his disre-
gard Of such everyday amenities as
barber's scissors and soap and water;
for a more unkempt and dirty looking
old aristocrat than Jan .Vereker was
surely never seen in the public streets.
He was q younger son of Sir Hudibras
Vereker, seventh baronet, whose fam
lily was among the best in Gloucester
shire; though to be sure, this seventh
baronet's lady, and JAMS mother, was
a somewhat obscure foreigner, a native
Of Antwerp.
In his youth he had been a painter,
who, but for his desultory disposition,
might have achieved great success;
and he had studied in half the art
schools of Europe. But he had now
practically abandoned this profession,
and devoted his whole time and ener-
gies to his pet hobby-the collection
Of curios. No sort of rarity came
amiss to him. Old paintings, old
china, old coins, gems, furniture, what
not, appealed to his antiquarian tastes.
Indeed, at one time or another, he had
been over a great part of Europe in
quest of such treasures; though latter
ly his efforts had been chiefly confined
to his native land. He never fire.
queuted the large shops or the en-
poriums Of professional dealers, for
his purse was not long enough to en-
able him to buy recognized articles of
vertu at fancy prices. But he was ever
exploring little all-sort shops, and the
cottages of working men and country
villages, where he stood some chance
of picking up a good thing for next to
nothing. With this end in view, he
was perpetually travelling about and
working from different centres, until
he became conversant with half the
towns and villages in Great Britain.
Whenever he went away for tou1
of exploration, he was always careful
to transfer his most valuable articles
such, as least, as were likely to be
stolen--to the safe custody of his
bankers. These were chiefly in the
way Of old coins, gems and plate. But
besides these there was one thing
which always went to the bank, and
which he evidently regarded as by fan
the most precious of all his posses
sions-a small and very cracked and
grimy portrait in oils. His acquisi
ton Of this painting was a source 0.
unbounded pride and self-congratula
ton to old Vereker. He had picked i
up at a little emporium Of rubbish il
Antwerp for a few forms. When hC
bought it, the canvas had presented ;
haring and abominable daub of tn,
Madonna. But Jan Vereker's prac
ticed eye had told him that this wal
only a secondary use to which it ha(
been put. He took it home; he care
fully cleaned off the the upper daub
Another painting landscape-ap
peared beneath. But even this wa
not the original, though, apparently,
hundred years older than the first
and he cleaned this also off. Then b,
came upon the real thing; and he un
derstood that he had experienced
marvellous stroke of good fortune
There was no doubt about it. TIL
painting which he had unearthed wa
an unmistakable Van Dyck.
But to make matters perfectly sure
though, in his own mind, he was al
ready satisfed-he submitted til
/ painting to half a dozen Independent