SIDNEY COLVIN.  I think we might have this drawing; it stands on its legs.  A most interesting fellow Dubedat.  He reminds me of Con—­

GEORGE MOORE.  Not Stevenson, though he had no talent whatever.  My dear Mr. Colvin, have you ever read ‘Vailima Letters’?  I have read parts of them.

SIDNEY COLVIN (coldly).  Ah, really!  Did you suffer very much?

SIR HUGH P. LANE.  Do you think, Mr. Gersaint, the artist’s widow would give me one of the pictures for the Dublin Gallery?  We have no money at all. I have no money, but all the artists are giving pictures:  Sargent, Shannon, Lavery, Frank Dicksee; and Rodin is giving a plaster cast.

GERSAINT.  How charming and insinuating you are, Sir Hugh.  We can make special reductions for the Dublin Gallery, but you can hardly expect charitable bequests from picture dealers.

SIR HUGH P. LANE.  Oh! but Dowdeswell, Agnew, Sulley, Wertheimer, P. and D. Colnaghi, and Humphry Ward are all giving me pictures.  Now, look here, I’ll buy these five drawings, and you can give me these two.  I’ll give you a Gainsborough drawing in exchange for them.  It has a very good history.  First it belonged to Ricketts, then to Rothenstein, then Wilson Steer, and then to the Carfax Gallery, and . . . then it came into my possession, and all that in three months. (Bargain concluded.)

MR. PFFUNGST (aside).  But is there any evidence that it belonged to Gainsborough?

SIR HUGH P. LANE (turning to a titled lady).  Oh, do come to tea next Saturday.  I want to show you my new Titian which I have just bought for 2100_l_.

TITLED LADY.  Sir Hugh, can you tell me who Mrs. Dubedat is now?

SIR HUGH P. LANE.  Oh, yes.  She married Dr. Schutzmacher, the specialist on bigamy only this morning.

TITLED LADY.  How interesting.  I should like to meet her.  Dresses divinely, I’m told.

SIR HUGH P. LANE.  She’s coming to tea next Saturday; such good tea, too!

TITLED LADY.  That will be delightful.

ST. JOHN HANKIN (loftily).  Can you tell me whether this charmian artist is pronounced Dubedat or Dubedat?

W. P. KER (in deep Scotch).  Non Dubitat. (He does not speak again.)

P. G. KONODY.  Oh, Mr. Phillips, do tell me exactly what you think of this artist!

CLAUDE PHILLIPS.  I think he wanted a good smacking.

P. G. KONODY.  Ah, yes, his art has a smack about it. (Aside.) Good heading for the Daily Mail, ‘Art with a smack.’ (Writes in catalogue.)

WILL ROTHENSTEIN.  When I see pictures of this kind, my dear Gersaint, they seem to me to explain your existence.  An artist without a conscience . . . (Sees ROGER FRY.) My dear Fry, what are you doing here?  Buying for New York? (Laughs meaningly.)