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He looked at ood portrait of an existing original," he said

"A woman's face then, I suppose? How very beautiful she must be!"

"Actual beauty is sexless," he replied, and was silent The expression of his face had become abstracted and dreamy, and he turned over the sketches for Mrs Everard with an air which showed his thoughts to be far away froel?" I went on "Had you a model for that also?"

This tiladness, passed over his features

"No indeed," he answered with ready frankness; "that is entirely randeur and force of his poetical fancy, when he stopped esture of his hand

"If you really admire the picture," he said, "pray do not say so If it is in truth a work of art, let it speak to you as art only, and spare the poor work to confess that it is not above huh art is silence--silence as grand as heaven itself"

He spoke with energy, and his dark eyes flashed Amy (Mrs Everard) looked at hih, "aren't you a little bit eccentric, signor? You talk like a long-haired prophet! I never enerally asweet they can sithout reeling But you're an exception, I aily in response to the half-friendly, half-ain, said: "I have a favour to ask of you, mademoiselle Will you sit to me for your portrait?"

"I!" I exclaiine why you should wish so to waste your valuable tinomy worthy of your briefest attention"

"You ravely, "if I presuly anxious to transfer your features tohealth, and that your face has not that roundness and colour formerly habitual to it But I am not an admirer of the ence, for thought, for inward refinement--in short, mademoiselle, you have the face of one whoain with you to give me a little of your spare time? YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT, I ASSURE YOU"