Daily camera., 1898-12-09
RETURN OF MASTER.

A man Of middle height, with an old.
fashioned goatee beard and perolex-
I'd, wondering air. He attracted less
attention in the Chantrey room by rea-.
son OF the fact that most Of the visitors
were young couples, absorbed in the
study Of each other. He looked at
these young pairs with twinkling eyes.
and nodded approvingly
mo change there!" he said with q
sigh of relief.
He went into the Foster room and
looked with interest at his own por-
trait on the walls. One of the engaged
couples came up and looked over his
shoulder g.,
Who's he seeposed to be, George?"
asked the lady carelessly. .s ,T
Chap O. the name of Dickens" re-
piled George, with the readiness of one
for whom the world has no secrets,
Charles Dickens"
i've card the name" said the young
woman: What was he celebrited for?"
Writing chap" said George
Ever read any OF his works?" asked
the lady persistently.. The,sSaan with
tho old-fashioned beard put his hand
to his ear.
Know some of the titles of en-"
answered George evasively.
At the glass-covered cases was some
thing more flattering. These, spelling
out the blue-inked manuscript Of
"Dombey and Son." and reading with
greater ease the bolder handwriting
Of "Oliver Twist" party Of Ameri-
cans talked excitedly. In their en-
thusiasm they desired to buy the
books they summoned thoughtful
policeman and asked him how many
thousand dollars his people would re-
quire for one Of them, anyway. The
thoughtful policeman shook his head
slowly and said, with respect, that the
country would have to be precious
hard up before 1t parted with one Of
them. This only increased the Ameri-
cans admiration. .I
They've forgiven me for Martin
Chuzzlewit,' said the master himself.
I'm glad"
He went out of the museum presently
into Brompton road, and stepped into
bus that carried him to Piccadilly
glow Of light that met him there; at
the high buildings bordering the tri-
angular space. ....t
This is not much like London" he
said. mot like my London"
Leicester Square gave him moro A.
tonishment, and he hurried into .
court and tried to think. Two matron-
ly women were Dragging Of their chill
dren; the eldest boy of one was doing
something heroic in the sixth standard
At the board school; tho other, 1 pale
woman, had boy who was being look
ed after by the poor law guardians.
and, the mother declared, was as heal
thy as healthy, and about to 30 to
Knellsr Hall You'd never believe he
was Z, son O. mine" said the white
faced woman. ...- .-
Il wonder" said the master. Il won
der now whether I helped in that"
An idea occurred to him. "Drury
Lane!"
He knew the way, quite we'll Past
the Garrick Club and along the south
side of Coveut Garden, and eventually
into Drury Lane.
NOW" he said. ~ shall be remind
ed OF the old days. Where is the
yard IN which Jo-?"
1t seemed that Drury Lane had, in a
sense, been to dentist to have itself
put right, and that the dentist had ad-
vised Drury Lane to have them all out
on one side and to buy q new set, for
there were huge gaps where buildings
had been pulled down, gaps hidden by
joyful hoardings. The old graveyard
had become clean. neat asphalted
playground for children.
"Changes!" he said, with only .
touch Of sadness, for he was not really
sorry. "Changes!"
He waited and listened, as had Al