me for reasons which are neither a
drama nor a poem. I had a friend whom I adored. She had an affection of
the lungs and I often took her into the country. We were one day at
Mendon when we heard strange music, wild barbarian music. We approached
softly, and beheld through the trees a young gipsy girl playing a violin
and lightly dancing as she played. We listened in astonishment, for the
music was most singular. Suddenly I felt that my companion was clinging
heavily to my arm. She had fainted. I seized her in my arms, and bore
her away. In a week death was very near. Then she said to me:

"'I must hear that gipsy again!'

"I could not leave her, but I sent a friend to find this unknown girl.
Each morning I discovered that the search had been fruitless. The sick
girl said when I told her, 'Very well! I shall not die until she
comes.' On the fourth day she half lifted herself from her bed
exclaiming:

"'There she is! I hear her!'

"I ran to the window, and beheld the gipsy in the garden. How did the
sick girl know she was there? The gipsy had not played a note. I could
not refuse my poor Aimee anything, and sent for the gipsy to come at
once to the room where the sick girl lay. The gipsy began to play such
soft, mysterious melodies. Poor Aimee listened with a faint smile.
Suddenly she drew me to her, kissed me, and died. This gipsy, sir, is
the one I have painted. You see therefore that I could never part with
this picture."

At this time Esperance was doing his best to copy his father's manners.
He was but twenty-one and he affected impassibility. He adopted his most
phlegmatic English air, and replied to the painter:

"Your story is most interesting, but I will give fifty thousand francs."

Goutran was surprised and somewhat displeased. He repeated his refusal,
and Esperance departed discontented with himself and with every one
else.

On thinking the whole affair over he was heartily ashamed of himself. On
the third day he went to the studio, and, on entering, said simply:

"For two days I have been uncomfortable. I beg you to accept my
apologies for my ungentlemanly conduct."

Goutran was an excellent person, he had early learned indulgence to
others. He at once saw that this handsome young fellow was a boy in
reality, with plenty of theories, but no experience of life. He
therefore received this apology frankly, and talked for some time to him
as to a younger brother.

Esperance listened without a word