Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-10-15

como so hopelessly and desperately her
lover that he no longer cared to use his
brush in the service of any other LAZY or
lord and staid at Strelsau solely that he
might again and again depict the face
That he loved, and, save when she sat be-
lore him, he seemed now unable to ply
his art at all, and had he not received so
many commands for pictures of her he
would have sat all day long idle, think
ing OF her, which indeed was what he
did in the intervals between his labor
on her portraits. But she, not imapin-
ing such presumption and folly on his
part, thought that he was glad merely
because she would pay him we'll, so she
promised him more and more, if only
he would paint her faithfully, and he
gave her his word that he would paint
her III every respect most faithfully.
For | desire to know" said she,
what am i'll truth like, for my mir
ror says one thing and the king of Glot-
tenberg"- But here she stopped, re-
membering that such matters were not
fit for Giraldo's ears. Yet he must have
understood, for a strange, cunning, ex-
ultant smile came on his lips as he turn
ed away and set himself to mix the col
ors on his palette. Thus he began this
last picture, and the princess came ev-
cry day and staid long, so that Giraldo
might be able to render her likeness in
every most minute respect with perfect
fidelity.
For" she thought resentfully,
"either 1 have no eyes or they have
none in Glottenberg.
But when she had thus been visiting
Giraldo for hard upon a month and the
picture was nearly finished and was at
once the most lovely and the most faith
full Of all that Giraldo had painted, it
CHANGED that letters came to the king
from a nobleman of France who was
well known to him and had known the
princess as well, the Marquis de Nero
sailles And the marquis wrote to the
king in the greatest indignation and
scorn, upbraiding the king and saying:
what is this, sire? Do you keep a mad
man at your court and call him paint
er? l have been at Glottenberg, and
when l spoke there, as it is my humble
duty and my true delight to speak ev
erywhere, of the incompatible beauty
of your majesty's sister, the Princess
Osra, the king, his son, and all the
company did nothing but laugh And
fought three duels with gentlemen of
the court on this account, and two Of
them |, heaven helping me, wounded,
and one, by some DEVILS trick, wound
ed me. And after this, the matter COM
ing to the king S ear, he sent for me and
excused the laughter by showing me a
picture done by rascal called Giraldo
at your court, and the picture was
named after your majesty S most match
less sister; but, as l am true son of
the church, it was more like a gutter
wench, and, on my honor and con-
science, it squinted most perceptibly.
pray you, sire, find out the meaning Of
this thing and receive most humble du-
ty and homage from your devoted serv
ant and, since your graciousness so
wills it, most obliged and obedient
friend, Henri, Marquis de Merosailles.
I kiss the hand of the princess.
When the king had read this letter,
he grew very thoughtful and, unknown
to Giraldo, he sent and caught the mes
senger whom Giraldo was wont to in
trust with the pictures and who had
carried the picture of which NJ. de Me-
rosailles wrote to Glottenberg, and the
king Intercepted the messenger most
closely, but got nothing from him save
that he himself never beheld the pic
lures which he carried but received
them most carefully packed from Giral-
do and so delivered them without undo
ing the coverings and did wait until the
recipient had inspected the picture. So
that the fellow did not know anything
about the picture that had gone to
Glottenberg except that it was certainly
the same as Giraldo had intrusted to
his hands. But the king was not salts
| fed, and, learning that his sister was at
that moment at Giraldo's house being
| painted afresh by him, he called half a
dozen of gentlemen and set out on horse
back for the place where Giraldo lived
| in the street that runs from the cathe-
dral toward the western gate of Strel-
sau. To this day the house stands there.
The princess sat and Giraldo painted.
Behind the princess was window look
Ing on 10 UD6 sUr6eV, anu Deuluu 0lIdluO
was a second door, which led into an
inner room. On Giraldo's easel stood
the nearly finished picture, and Giral'
dos eyes were alight both with love and
with triumph as he turned from the
princess to the picture and from the pic.
ture to the princess again, and she, see
ing something of his admiration, said
with blush:
sis it indeed faithful, signor?" Fol
it seemed even to herself marvelously
lovely picture.
"No, madame" answered he, "fol
my imperfect hand cannot be faithful
to perfection.
81 pray you, do not tiatter me. Have
you indeed shown every fault of my
face?"
eff there be a fault in your face,
madame, there it is also in my picture, y
said Giraldo.
The princess was silent for moment
and then she said:
''It is better, is it not, than the pic
ture you painted for the king of Glot'
tenberg?"
Giraldo painted a stroke or two be
fore he answered carelessly:
Indeed, madame, it is more faithful
than that which the king of Glotten
berg has"
''Then less beautiful" asked Osra