his mood had been so readily divined.

"But you have not told me what sacrifice you desired of me."

"I did not say sacrifice--I said service."

"Well, whichever it may be, I am ready."

"Very good! You are certainly the best fellow in the world!"

Here it must be mentioned that Esperance never drank wine. The table was
supplied with several kinds, but, like his father, Esperance never
touched them.

Goutran poured some sherry into the glass of his friend.

"I have come," he said, "to make a confession and ask a loan."

He tossed off a glass of wine as he spoke. Esperance mechanically drank
also.

"This is my confession: I, Goutran, a painter, propose to give a
_soiree_ to-morrow night."

"You!"

"Yes, neither more nor less, and I intend to add to this _soiree_ a
ball."

"In your atelier?"

"Why not? It is not as large as the Square, to be sure, but it will be a
success."

"But what is the occasion of these festivities?"

"Oh! thereby hangs a tale. A great Italian lord was, when I was in Rome,
extremely kind to me. He treated me like a son. He has come to Paris,
and I must do something for him and for other friends. He is immensely
wealthy himself--not to be mentioned the same day with you, to be sure.
I intend to kill two birds with one stone, and invite my friends to
send their pictures on exhibition. I need your assistance, and I need
some tapestries."

Esperance listened attentively, and did not notice that Goutran had
filled his glass with sherry again.

"I want my studio to be magnificent on this occasion, and as we artists
are not rich enough to buy oriental hangings, we are all going to our
friends to borrow of them. You have treasures of this nature--will you
lend them to me? And the great service was simply that you should lend
me some of those marvelous Japanese hangings of yours."

"I regret extremely that you ask such a trifle at my hands, and now beg
that you will grant me one."

"What is that?"

"Will you give up the arrangement of the studio to me? I will send men
and all my Smyrna and India stuff to-morrow morning, and they will do it
all."

"No, no! Do you think I would allow common upholsterers to touch your
treasures! I wish to mount step-ladders in my shirt sleeves, with a big
hammer in my hand, and put them up myself."

And, as Esperance looked at him with troubled surprise, Goutran
continued:

"My dear friend, open your boxes for me, let me select what I want. We
t