Chapter VIII

The Portrait That Was Not a Portrait

Aaron King was putting the last touches to his portrait of the woman who—­Conrad Lagrange said—­was the personification of the age.

From that evening when the young man told his friend the story of his mother’s sacrifice, their friendship had become like that friendship which passeth the love of women.  While the novelist, true to his promise, did not cease to flay his younger companion—­for the good of the artist’s soul—­those moments when his gentler moods ruled his speech were, perhaps, more frequent; and the artist was more and more learning to appreciate the rare imagination, the delicacy of feeling, the intellectual brilliancy, and the keenness of mental vision that distinguished the man whose life was so embittered by the use he had made of his own rich gifts.

The novelist steadily refused to look at the picture while the work was in progress.  He said, bluntly, that he preferred to run no risk of interfering with the young man’s chance for fame; and that it would be quite enough for him to look upon his friend’s shame when it was accomplished; without witnessing the process in its various stages.  The artist laughed to hide the embarrassing fact that he was rather pleased to be left to himself with this particular picture.

Conrad Lagrange did not, however, refuse to accompany his friend, occasionally, to the house on Fairlands Heights; where the painter continued to spend much of his time.  When Mrs. Taine made mocking references to the novelist’s promise not to leave the artist unprotected to her tender mercies, he always answered with some—­as she said—­twisty saying; to the effect that the present situation in no way lessened his determination to save the young man from the influences that would accomplish the ruin of his genius.  “If”—­he always added—­“if he is worth saving; which remains to be seen.”  Always, at the Taine home, they met James Rutlidge.  Frequently the celebrated critic dropped in at the cottage in the orange grove.

Under the skillful management of Rutlidge,—­at the request of Mrs. Taine,—­the newspapers were already busy with the name and work of Aaron King.  True, the critic had never seen the artist’s work; but, never-the-less, the papers and magazines throughout the country often mentioned the high order of the painter’s genius.  There were little stories of his study and success abroad; tactful references to his aristocratic family; entertaining accounts of his romantic life with the famous novelist in the orange groves of Fairlands, and of how, in his California studio among the roses, the distinguished painter was at work upon a portrait of the well-known social leader, Mrs. Taine—­this being the first portrait ever painted of that famous beauty.  That the picture would create a sensation at the exhibition, was the unanimous verdict of all who had been permitted to see the marvelous creation by this rare genius whose work was so little known in this country.