r to the service of the work and
to the glory of the artist. When Lincoln wanted to travel he found his
brother-in-law the most diligent of couriers. When he had need of a
model he had only to say a word for Florent to set about finding one.
Did Lincoln exhibit at Paris or London, Florent took charge of the
entire proceeding--seeing the journalists and picture dealers, composing
letters of thanks for the articles, in a handwriting so like that of the
painter that the latter had only to sign it. Lincoln desired to return
to Rome. Florent had discovered the house on the Rue Leopardi, and he
settled it even before Maitland, then in Egypt, had finished a large
study begun at the moment of the departure of the other.

Florent had, by virtue of the affection felt for his brother-in-law,
come to comprehend the paintings as well as the painter himself. These
words will be clear to those who have been around artists and who know
what a distance separates them from the most enlightened amateur.
The amateur can judge and feel. The artist only, who has wielded the
implements, knows, before a painting, how it is done, what stroke of the
brush has been given, and why; in short, the trituration of the matter
by the workman. Florent had watched Maitland work so much, he had
rendered him so many effective little services in the studio, that each
of his brother-in-law's canvases became animated to him, even to the
slightest details. When he saw them on the wall of the gallery they told
him of an intimacy which was at once his greatest joy and his greatest
pride. In short, the absorption of his personality in that of his former
comrade was so complete that it had led to this anomaly, that Dorsenne
himself, notwithstanding his indulgence for psychological singularities,
had not been able to prevent himself from finding almost monstrous:
Florent was Lincoln's brother-in-law, and he seemed to find it perfectly
natural that the latter should have adventures outside, if the emotion
of those adventures could be useful to his talent!

Perhaps this long and yet incomplete analysis will permit us the better
to comprehend what emotions agitated the young man as he reascended the
staircase of his house--of their house, Lincoln's and his--after his
unexpected dispute with Boleslas Gorka. It will attenuate, at least
with respect to him, the severity of simple minds. All passion, when
developed in the heart, has the effect of etiolating around it the v