Reynolds was very happy at Hudson’s studio.  He was only seventeen years old when he arrived there, fresh from the country.  London was a marvel of delight to Joshua; the shops, theaters, galleries and exhibitions were a never-ending source of joy.  He worked with diligence, and probably got more for his money than any one of Hudson’s fifty pupils.  Hudson was well-to-do, dignified and kind.  His place was full of casts and classic fragments, and when he had set his pupils to copying these he considered his day’s work done.

Joshua wrote glowing letters home, telling of all he did.  “While I am at work I am the happiest creature alive,” he said.  Hudson set Joshua to copying Guercino’s works, and kept the lad at it so steadily that he was really never able to draw from Nature correctly thereafter.

After a year, Craunch came up from the country to see how his ward was getting along.  Joshua showed him the lions of the city; and painted his picture, making so fine a portrait that when Mr. Craunch got back home he threw away the one made by Warmell.

Once at an exhibition Joshua met Alexander Pope, whom he had seen several times at Hudson’s studio.  Pope remembered him and shook hands.  Joshua was so inflated by the honor that he hastened home to write a letter to his mother and tell her all about it.

According to the terms of agreement with Hudson, Joshua was bound to stay four years; but now two years had passed, and one fine day in sudden wrath Hudson told him to pack up his kit and go.

The trouble was that Joshua could paint better than Hudson—­every pupil in the school knew it.  When the scholars wanted advice they went to Reynolds, and some of them, being sons of rich men, paid Reynolds for helping them.

Then Reynolds had painted a few portraits on his own account and had kept the money, as he had a perfect right to do.  Hudson said he hadn’t, for he was bound as an apprentice to him.

“But only during working-hours,” replied young Reynolds.  We can hardly blame Hudson for sending him away—­no master wants a pupil around who sees all over, above and beyond him, and who can do better work than he.  It’s confusing, and tends to rob the master of the deification that is his due.

Reynolds had remained long enough—­it was time for him to go.

He went back to Devonshire, and Craunch, the biggest man in Plympton, took him over to Lord Edgecumbe, the biggest man in Plymouth.

Craunch carried along the portrait of himself that Joshua had made, and asked milord if he didn’t want one just like it.  Edgecumbe said he surely did, and asked Joshua if he painted the picture all alone by himself.

Joshua smiled.

Lord Edgecumbe had a beautiful house, and to have a good picture of himself, and a few choice old ancestors on the walls, he thought would be very fine.

Joshua took up his abode in the Edgecumbe mansion, the better to do his work.