able and the
emptiness of the wine-cups will be a forcible reminder that it will be
impossible to escape it. Did you show Goude your sketch for your picture
for the Salon, Rene?"

"I did, after you had all gone, and I have not got over the interview
yet. His remarks on the design, conception, and the drawing were equally
clear and decisive. He more than hinted that I was a hopeless idiot,
that the time he had given me was altogether wasted, that I had mistaken
my avocation, and that if the Germans knocked me on the head it would be
no loss either to myself or to society in general. It is true that after
he had finished he cooled down a bit and made a number of suggestions
from which I gathered that if the whole thing were altered, my idea of
the background altogether changed, the figures differently posed, the
effect of light and shade diametrically reversed, and a few other
trifling alterations made, the thing might possibly be hung on the top
line. Ma foi, I feel altogether crushed, for I had really flattered
myself that the sketch was not altogether without merit."

When the laugh had subsided Cuthbert said--

"Courage, Rene, Goude's bark is always worse than his bite, and I have
no doubt he will take a much more favorable view of it as you get on."

"It is all very well for you to say so," Rene said, ruefully. "You are a
spoiled child, Goude has never a word of reproof for you."

"Probably because he knows very well that I shall not break my heart
over it. We must hold a committee of inspection on your work to-morrow;
none of us have seen your design yet, and we may be able between us to
make some useful suggestion."

"No, no," Rene exclaimed. "Heaven protect me from that. Do you come,
Cuthbert; none of us mind what you say about our pictures. Your
criticisms do not hurt. One would no more think of being angry with you
for using your knife than with a surgeon for performing an operation."

"Very well, Rene, I will come round early. I have no doubt your sketch
is a very good one on the whole, and after a few little changes it will
satisfy even Goude. By the way, have you heard we are to elect our
company officers to-morrow?"

"Will you stand? I am sure you would have all our votes--that is
twenty-five to start with, and as we know most of the fellows in the
company we certainly could secure all those who have not any candidate
they want to run; besides, there are, of course, to be three officers,
so we shoul