The American Marquis by Nick Carter — page 111: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE AMERICAN MARQUIS. 107 ikine up stairs as if he had the right todo so, Clinton would stop before a door, fit a key into its lock, oper it, and walk in. | The room, it would be found, was fitted like a studio, } and Clinton, it would be seen, was at his old work of paint- ing pictures. In the autumn the artists of New York have an exhibi- tion to show their work, and fashionable people always go to the exhibition. _ The autumn before the marquis and his wife went to the Chateau d’Iberri, there was the usual exhibition, and on the opening night everybody of any consequence was there. Grace was fond of pictures, and she went for that reason, and the marquis went because his wife wished to go. The marquis knew very little about art, but he told Grace that if she only would,tell him when to admire, she should have no reason to be ashamed of him. __ Most fashionable folks go on opening night to see and be seen, and so it was crowded, this opening night at the Academy. It was hard work to have an opportunity to see the pic- tures, what with the friends who wished to say ‘‘ how do _ you do?” to a real marquis, and with the crowds who cared _ very little what they said so that they said something. ___A few there were who went to see the pictures, and one of these, meeting Grace and her husband, went into rhap- _ sodies over a life-size painting of extraor dinary merit by an ~ unknown artist. It hung in the north room, hee comparatively few peo- _ ple were, and more for.that reason than to see that eeperrs picture Gr ace asked to be taken there. ‘* Be sure to tell me if I am to admire it, Grace.” Grace answered by a loving smile and a pressure of the arm she was leaning on. Any little jest of Honore’s made her happy. A number of persons were grouped together, all looking at one large picture, evidently the one in question. _ . oa Oe They took up a position to get a fair view of the picture. Its title was ‘‘ False Vows and False Faces.” It represented a blindfolded man and a masked woman. The woman, standing on tiptoe, had her hands on the GOmiGcbooks (G(@) m