MACCARONI AND CANVAS.
VII.
'A REEL TITIANO FOR SAL.'
There was a shop occupied by a dealer in paintings, engravings, intaglios, old crockery, and Bric-à-brac-ery generally, down the Via Condotti, and into this shop Mr. William Browne, of St. Louis, one morning found his way. He had been induced to enter by reading in the window, written on a piece of paper,
'A REEL TITIANO FOR SAL,'
and as he wisely surmised that the dealer intended to notify the English that he had a painting by Titian for sale, he went in to see it.
Unfortunately for Mr. Browne, familiarly known as Uncle Bill, he had one of those faces that invariably induced Roman tradesmen to resort to the Oriental mode of doing business, namely, charging three hundred per cent profit; and as this dealer having formerly been a courier, commissionaire and pander to English and American travelers, naturally spoke a disgusting jargon of Italianized English, and had what he believed were the most distinguished manners: he charged five hundred per cent.
'I want,' said Uncle Bill to the 'brick-Bat' man, 'to see your Titian.'
'I shall expose 'im to you in one moment, sare; you walk this way. He's var' fine pickshoor, var' fine. You ben long time in Rome, sare?'
No reply from Uncle Bill: his idea was, even a wise man may ask questions, but none but fools answer fools.