THE ANNOYANCE OF THE PRINCESS.
He did not let me finish my sentence, but, embracing me warmly and kissing me, said—
"Thanks, dear Duprè, that is right. That is what pleases me, and that is the way it shall be done. And now, addio." And pressing my hand, he departed.
The day after, at one o'clock, the usual hour, the Princess arrived, gay and laughing, as usual; and after giving a glance at herself in the mirror, and arranging a little her hair, she seated herself and said—
"I am ready."
I had not as yet thrown down the statuette. There it stood uncovered, just as the Prince had left it the day before.
"I am very sorry, Signora Principessa," I began, "to give you some bad news. The Prince was here yesterday."
"I hope you did not allow him to see this portrait?"
"Yes, he has seen it—he has seen it, Signora Principessa. It was useless to try to conceal it from him, and I did wrong to endeavour to do so, for he was perfectly aware of its existence when he came here. He must have been exactly informed about it; and so sure was he that I was making your portrait, that he planted himself here precisely before the modelling-stand, and seeing that I was unwilling to uncover it, he uncovered it himself without any ceremony. He told me that I did wrong to begin the work, and that I must not go on with it, and, in fact, he has expressly ordered me to destroy it and throw it down."
THE PRINCESS REMONSTRATES.