and I congratulate him.'

'Well,' I said, uneasily, 'don't congratulate me. I didn't do it.
Positively I am not to blame.'

'His Excellency says that it reminds him of an incident in one of
Mrs. Steel's novels,' said Armour, just turning his head to
ascertain His Excellency's whereabouts.

'Dear me, so it does,' I exclaimed, eagerly, 'one couldn't name the
chapter--it's the general feeling.' I went on to discourse of the
general feeling. Words came generously, questions with point,
comments with intelligence. I swamped the situation and so carried
it off.

'The Viceroy has bought the thing,' Armour went on, looking at Dora,
'and has commissioned me to paint another. The only restriction he
makes is--'

'That it shall be of the same size?' asked Dora.

'That it must deal with some phase of native life.'

Miss Harris walked to a point behind us, and stood there with her
eyes fixed upon the picture. I glanced at her once; her gaze was
steady, but perfectly blank. Then she joined us again, and struck
into the stream of my volubility.

'I am delighted,' she said, pleasantly, to Armour. 'You have done
exactly what I wanted you to do. You have won the Viceroy's medal,