sculptor who was staying with me, "can 'invest his portraits with
artistic merit.' Claudia's likeness in the Exhibition is capital, and
the fame of it is being noised abroad with a vengeance. But I think
something should be done to stop the little newspaper-boy nuisance: the
reports they spread are quite alarming."

"Ideala, what nonsense are you talking about sculptors and newspaper-
boys?" Claudia exclaimed.

"I'll tell you," said Ideala. "There was a small boy with a big voice
standing at the corner of the market-place this afternoon. He had a
sheaf of evening papers under his arm, and was yelling with much
enthusiasm to an edified crowd:--'Noose of the War! Hawful mutilation
of the dead! Fearful collision in the Channel! Eighty-eight lives lost!
Narrative of survivors! Thrilling details! Shindy in Parl'ment! Hirish
members to the front again! 'Orrible haccident in our own town! The
Lady Claudia's bust!'"

"Ideala, how _dare_ you?"--but just then the carriage stopped, and we
had to get out.

The good Bishop met us in the hall. Ideala positively declined to go
upstairs when he asked her.

"It is too much trouble," she said, not seeing in her absence what was
meant. "I would rather leave my things here."

"But I am afraid I _must_ trouble you," the Bishop answered, in
despair. "The fact is, my wife is not so well this evening, and she
was afraid of the cold, and is staying in her own sitting-room."