M. Nioche bowed, with his hand on his heart. "Very well, sir; you have
already made me lively."

"Come and bring me my picture then; I will pay you for it, and we will
talk about that. That will be a cheerful subject!"

Mademoiselle Noemie had collected her accessories, and she gave the
precious Madonna in charge to her father, who retreated backwards out
of sight, holding it at arm's-length and reiterating his obeisance. The
young lady gathered her shawl about her like a perfect Parisienne, and
it was with the smile of a Parisienne that she took leave of her patron.



CHAPTER II


He wandered back to the divan and seated himself on the other side,
in view of the great canvas on which Paul Veronese had depicted
the marriage-feast of Cana. Wearied as he was he found the picture
entertaining; it had an illusion for him; it satisfied his conception,
which was ambitious, of what a splendid banquet should be. In the
left-hand corner of the picture is a young woman with yellow tresses
confined in a golden head-dress; she is bending forward and listening,
with the smile of a charming woman at a dinner-party, to her neighbor.
Newman detected her in the crowd, admired her, and perceived that she
too had her votive copyist--a young man with his hair standing on
end. Suddenly he became conscious of the germ of the mania of the
"collector;" he had taken the first step; why should he not go on? It
was only twenty minutes before that he had bought the first picture