July 1892 - The Emma Hardinge Britten Archive

7 he Mystery of NO.9 Stan/zope Street. 191
we were but pieces on the chessboard of some invisible
but mighty and potential realm of chess-playing being.
This idea-a favourite one of mine, Dick-is strengthened
into certainty by the sight of your wonderful portraiture
of my abortive subject. Dick, your Eden, the flowers,
trees, landscape. serpent, and all the details of your picture,
save and except the peerless Eve, is so nearly a prototype
of mine, that if I could but believe in a higher directing.
and governing world than this, I should come to the conclusion
it was occupied with us both, and-for reasons.
only to be outwrought in the scheme of destiny-had
presented to us the same idea, to be incarnated in an art
creation-mine to be coloured as the devil of beauty,
yours as the angel. No comments, Dick; the thing is
clear. Now for the result. Pack up that picture of yours.
It is framed and ready, of course, for the Academy.
Trust it to me, will you?"
" It is yours, Reginald, to do as you choose with it."
" Good! May the powers that be do so unto me, and
more, also, if I do wrong to thee, my friend! To-morrow,
then, I start for Rome. Arrived there, hey for Florence,
and with that picture of yours for Sir Lester Stanhope's
inspection, if you are not the recipient of that five
thousand pounds prize within one month from this, sue
me for damages, and brand me as the serpent of the
legend that led on the father and mother of the race to
destruction. "
(To be cont£meed.)
•
'And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed
thereabout, behold two men stood by them in shining
garments. '*' '*' '* '*' And when they found not his
body they came saying that they had also seen a vision of
angels, which said that he was alive."-Luke, c. 24.