en at last they were all ready, the boats were waiting for them.
Several ladies went with the queen, so it was quite a party. It was a
beautiful ride down the river to Sir Anthony Van Dyck's house. When
at last the boats came to the landing place, very likely Prince
Charles was the first to jump on shore.

The great Sir Anthony Van Dyck himself came out to meet them. He was
glad to have three such lovely children to paint. He was very fond of
children and then, too, he always liked to have a great many people
about him. When the party entered his studio,--the room where Van Dyck
painted,--they found many people already there. The ladies wore
beautiful dresses and the men, too, were dressed in velvets and silks,
and carried shining swords. Sir Anthony Van Dyck had a very large,
fine dog, and as soon as the dog saw the children he came right up to
them. He seemed to like Prince Charles best, and sat beside him all
the time his picture was being painted. He liked to feel the soft
stroke of Prince Charles's kind hand.

Baby Stuart stands upon a raised platform and his head is almost as
high as his sister's. He looks a little shy as he stands there,
holding his apple tight in his chubby little hands. His sister Mary
must have held some roses in her hand and dropped them. Can you see
them on the rug, in front of her? If Baby Stuart should drop his
apple, perhaps the dog would bring it to him.

Sir Anthony Van Dyck was very fond of music, and always had some
musicians playing while he painted. The children liked the music, too,
and it made them forget they were standing still so long. The ladies
and gentlemen talked together in another part of the room, but this
did not disturb the artist. He was so absorbed in his work that he did
not hear them, and no one would have thought of interrupting him.

The children stood still almost half an hour that day before the artist
said, "That will do"; and they came several times before Sir Anthony Van
Dyck could finish painting their faces. Then he told their mother to
send him the three little dresses the children were wearing, and he
would paint them without the children. You may be sure the children were
glad they did not need to stand while the dresses were being painted.

Sir Anthony Van Dyck painted a curtain just back of the children, and
through the window we see a rosebush which may be the one from which
the little Princess Mary picked her roses. The great artist painted
man