Theodore Winthrop

“ I need hardly describe men so well known as the three artists, Sion, Towers, and Pensal. Indeed, as their business in this drama is merely to hasten one event by a few hours, it would be impertinent to distinguish them as salient characters. I glance at them merely, as they enter, halt a moment, do their part and disappear. ”

“ A got-up look is generally a grimace,” says Towers.
“Well, Pensal,” said Sion, “your picture convinces me that I am not a miserable failure and a humbug, who cannot see anything in marble or out. Now let me free for a moment. I am tired of sitting to be probed and flayed.”
Sion took his furlough, and strayed about the room, glancing at Stillfleet’s precious objects. I stepped aside to get a cigar for Pensal.
“Ah!” cried Sion. “Here is a fresh thing. This was never painted in Europe; and yet I do not know any one here who could do it.”
He had found the sketch, my present from Cecil Dreeme. ”

“ The facts and systems of the past are mainly rubbish now; what is precious is the spirit of the present, which those systems have reared, or at least failed to strangle, and those facts have mauled strong and tempered fine. ”

“ Sion held it up for inspection.
Now that it had been seen, there was nothing to do, except to get the approval of these final authorities, and communicate it to Dreeme.
“It is a new hand,” said I, “what do you think of it?”
“She has great power, as well as delicacy,” said Pensal, — the others waiting for him to speak.
She! Who?” I asked.
“The artist.”
“Odd fancy of yours! It is a man.”
“What! and paint only a back view of a woman? I supposed that being a woman, as the general handling too suggests, she took less interest in her own sex ”