A VISION OF

“You are the Vicomte d'Humieres 2

“Ianm.”

Y1 am afraid—it is unpardonable remiss- ness on my part; but T am afraid that, it | have ever had the pleasure of meeting you before. 1t is a pleasure which has escaped my memory.”

= Itis not that we have cver met hefore no, it 1s not that. It is myv name to which you are not a stranger,”

My Tovell glaneed again at the card.

“Your name? T oam afraid, Vicomte. that T do not remember having cver heard vour name hefore

AR Is thatso?” The stranger regarded his polished boots. He spoke as if he were addressing himself to them. “Is it possible that she can have given another name 2 No, Uiy not possible. She is capable of many

things 1 do not believe she s capable of that.” He looked up again at Mr. Lovell.

• My business with you, Mr. Lovell, 1s of

rather a peculiar kind. You will think, perhaps, that mine is rather a singular errand, [ have come to ask you to acquaint me with the residence of my wife.”

" With the —did you say, with the dence of your wife 2”

“That s what T said. T have come to ask you to acquamt me with the residence of my wite,” The artist stared.

" But, so far as T am aware, I do not know vour wife,”

“That s absurd. T do not say, Mr. Lovell. that you are conscious of the absurdity. But still —it is absurd— I was not aware that you were acquainted with my wife until 1 learnt the fact, this morning, at your Aca- demy.”

“ At our Academy ?”

" Precisely. Upon the walls of vour Academy of Painting, Mr. 1ovell.”

Mr. Lovell began to wonder i his visitor was not an amiable French lunatic,

“Is that not rather a singular place in which to Tearn such a fact 2

It ois a singular place. Tt s a very singular place, indeed. But that has nothing to-do with the matter. It is as | sav. You have a picture, Mr. Lovell, at the Academy?”

• 1 have.”

“Itis a portrait.”

“Pardon me, it is not a portrait.”

“Pardon me, Mr. Tovell, in my turn; it 1S a portrait. As a portrait, it is a perfect portrait. It is a portrait of my wife.”

“Of your wife! You are dreaming !

“You flatter me, Mr. Tovell. Is it that you supposce I am an imbecile? Are not

l’L.‘Si -

7H7 NIGHT 02 the features of a wife familiar to a hushand ? Very good. T am the husband of my wifc, Your picture, Mr. Lovell, is a portrait of my wife,”

“ L ocannot but think you have mistaken some other picture for mine. Mine is simple study of a woman’s face. Tt is called “\ Vision of the Night”

CPrectselve And YA Vision of the Night

oy wife”

s impossible 1Y

" Do Iunderstand vou to sav, Mr Fovell, ol a thing which T say is so that it is impossible 2 ”

The Vicomte rose. His voice had a very significant intonation. Mr. Lovell resented it

“ 1 do not know, Vicomte, that T am called upon to explam to you. But, in facc of your remarkable statement, T will swdesteer an explanation. I saw the face, which 1 have pamted, in a dream.”

“Indeed ; is that so? was 1t in which Lovell 27

The voung man flushed. tone was distinetly offensive.

It was moa dream which T dreamt last August at Spa.”

SAR D This s ocurious. At what hotel where you stopping last August at Spa?”

“At the Hotel de Flandre —though | don’t know why you ask.”

What sort of dream you saw my wife’s face, Mr.

The stranger’s

“Sol Weapproach a point, at last. Tast August, my wife and I, we were atspa. We

stayed, my wife and 1, at the Hotel de

Flandre. It was at the Hotel de Flandre my wife left me. I have never seen her since. Perhaps, Mr. Gerald Lovell, you will

be so good as to inform me what sort of dream it was in which you saw my wife's face, at the Hotel de Flandre, last August, at Spa?

Mr. Lovell hesitated. He perecived that caution was advisable. He felt that if he entered into minute particulars of his dream, there might be o misunderstanding with the Vicomte, So he temporized or he endea- voured to.

“ 1 have already told you that 1 saw the lace in my picture inoa dream. It is the simple fact —that I have no other explanation to offer.”

“Is that so?”

• “That 1s so.”

“Very good, so far, Mr. Gerald Tovell. [ thought it possible that you might have some explanation of this kind to offer. | was at the Academy with a friend. When | percetved my wife’s portrait on the walls, and