of a poor sculptor."

It had grown dark, and they lighted three large candles of the finest
bee's wax in the chandelier above the table.

"I have no objections," Schmidt several times interjected in the debate,
"I have no objections to your trying to help toward the evolution of
sublimer types by means of divine intelligence and human hands; for all
I care, by means of divine intelligence alone, that is, by means of
reason. The very same, if you will allow it, is the object, the ultimate
object, of the science of medicine. A day is coming when artificial
selection among human beings will be obligatory." The artists burst out
laughing, but Schmidt continued unabashed. "And another day, a still more
beautiful day, is coming when persons like ourselves will be considered
like, well, let us say at the utmost, the African Bushmen."

VIII

The candles had almost burned to the bottom when the little company
decided it was time to break up. It was a half holiday, the stone-cutters
had stopped work sooner than usual, and the other rooms were dark and
deserted. The artists used the stumps of the candles to light the company
about. In passing through the first studio, Lobkowitz partially uncovered
pieces meant for the Chicago Exposition, colossal plaster casts and
models in clay representing commerce, manufacture, agriculture and the
like. They threw enormous shadows on the walls and ceiling.

"You can't get results in art from large figures," said Ritter, though
the statues were full of animation, and there was something prepossessing
in them.

"Everything for the anniversary of 1492, everything for the Chicago
Exposition," said Willy. "A Viking ship is coming over from Norway. The
last descendant of Christopher Columbus, a knock-kneed Spaniard, is
to be passed around for show, a tremendous humbug, always an acceptable
dish to the Americans. Ritter owes this big order to his monkey-like
quickness. The building commission applied to various sculptors, and
Ritter sent them sketches for all the statues before the other artists
had even wet their clay."

"I was working in my little studio in Brooklyn," said Ritter, "and for
forty-eight hours in succession I didn't take my hands out of clay. These
figures don't bother me in the least. After the Exposition they won't
exist except in photographs."

"That's the way the Americans are. Please, Ritter, do give us a
Washington memorial. Perhaps you have a Washington memoria