-L2000--the figures are
Wyke's--and this season, the ignominious "L1000 or under," is none of
my booking! and when last I saw the mad machine it was still cycling
down the hill.

[Illustration]

_The New Dynasty_

[Sidenote: _The Morning Post._]

Sir--Pray accept my compliments, and be good enough to inform me at
once by whose authority, and upon what pretence, the painting,
designed and executed by myself, upon the panel at the entrance of the
galleries of Suffolk Street, has been defaced. Tampering with the work
of an artist, however obscure, is held to be, in what might be called
the international laws of the whole Art world, so villainous an
offence, that I must at present decline to entertain the
responsibility of the very distinguished and Royal Society of British
Artists, for what must be due to the rash, and ill-considered, zeal of
some enthusiastic and untutored underling.

Awaiting your reply, I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient,
humble servant,

[Illustration]

[Sidenote: _Telegram to Council of Royal Society of
British Artists:_

"Congratulations upon dignity maintained as Artists left
in charge of a brother Artist's work, and upon graceful
bearing as officers toward their late
President."--WHISTLER.]

TO THE HON. SECRETARY
OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF BRITISH ARTISTS.
March 30, 1889.

_An Embroidered Interview_

[Sidenote: _Pall Mall Gazette_, April 3, 1889.]

"Well, Mr. Whistler, they say they only painted out your butterfly
from the signboard, and changed the date. What do you say?"

"What do I say? That they have been guilty of an act of villainous
Vandalism."

"Will you tell me the history of the Board?"

"When I was elected to the presidency of the Society I offered to
paint a signboard which should proclaim to the passer-by the name and
nature of the Society. My offer was accepted, and the Board was sent
down to my studio, where I treated it as I should a most distinguished
sitter--as a picture or an etching--throwing my artistic soul into the
Board, which gradually became a Board no longer, as it grew into a
picture. You say they say it was only a butterfly. Mendacity could go
no further. I painted a _lion_ and a butterfly. The lion lay with the
butterfly--a harmony in gold and red, with which I had taken as much
trouble as I did with the