"I thought so; the old story. No, sir, you shall never be an artist--at least not with my consent. Why, do you suppose that because you can scribble caricatures on the fly-leaves of your books you have necessarily the genius of Rubens or Titian?" "Not quite," replied Frank, smiling in spite of himself at the irascibility of the old gentleman, "and yet I presume that Rubens and Titian began to paint before either themselves or others were aware of the fact that they possessed any genius at all." "Tut, tut," cried Mr Allfrey impatiently, "but what have you ever done, boy, to show your ability to paint?" "I have studied much, uncle," said Frank eagerly, "although I have said little to you about the matter, knowing your objection to it; but if you would condescend to look at a few of my drawings from nature, I think--" "Drawing from nature," cried Mr Allfrey with a look of supreme contempt, "what do _I_ care for nature? What have _you_ to do with nature in this nineteenth century? Nature, sir, is only fit for savages. There is nothing natural now-a-days. Why, what do you suppose would become of my ledger and cash-book, my office and business, if I and my clerks raved about nature as you do? A fig for nature!--the less you study it the better. _I_ never do." "Excuse me, sir," said Frank respectfully, "if I refuse to believe you, because I have heard you frequently express to friends your admiration of the view from your own drawing-room window--" "Of course you have, you goose, and you ought to have known that that was a mere bit of conventional humbug, because, since one is constrained unavoidably to live in a world full of monstrous contradictions, it is necessary to fall in with its habits. You ought to know that it is customary to express admiration for a fine view." "You spoke as if you felt what you said," replied Frank, "and I am certain that there are thousands of men in the position of yourself and your clerks who delight in nature in all her varied aspects; who, because they unfortunately see so little of her in town, make it their ambition to have cottages in the country when they can afford it, and many of whom decorate their walls with representations of nature."