"We haven't had much practice," said the lady.

"We've got to do something, and we've thought that an artist in
your line might perhaps make something of us," her husband threw
off. He further mentioned that they didn't know many artists and
that they had gone first, on the off-chance--he painted views of
course, but sometimes put in figures; perhaps I remembered--to Mr.
Rivet, whom they had met a few years before at a place in Norfolk
where he was sketching.

"We used to sketch a little ourselves," the lady hinted.

"It's very awkward, but we absolutely must do something," her
husband went on.

"Of course we're not so VERY young," she admitted with a wan smile.

With the remark that I might as well know something more about them
the husband had handed me a card extracted from a neat new pocket-
book--their appurtenances were all of the freshest--and inscribed
with the words "Major Monarch." Impressive as these words were
they didn't carry my knowledge much further; but my visitor
presently added: "I've left the army and we've had the misfortune
to lose our money. In fact our means are dreadfully small."

"It's awfully trying--a regular strain,", said Mrs. Monarch.

They evidently wished to be discreet--to take care not to swagger
because they were gentlefolk. I felt them willing to recognise
this as something of a drawback, at the same time that I guessed at