The tossing of a penny decided the only remaining point; and the more imaginative canvas received the suffrages of fortune, and appeared first in the window of the mansion. It was of a high fancy, the legend eloquently writ, the scheme of colour taking and bold; and but for the imperfection of the artist’s drawing, it might have been taken for a model of its kind. As it was, however, when viewed from his favourite point against the garden railings, and with some touch of distance, it caused a pleasurable rising of the artist’s heart. ‘I have thrown away,’ he ejaculated, ‘an invaluable motive; and this shall be the subject of my first academy picture.’ The fate of neither of these works was equal to its merit. A crowd would certainly, from time to time, collect before the area-railings; but they came to jeer and not to speculate; and those who pushed their inquiries further, were too plainly animated by the spirit of derision. The racier of the two cartoons displayed, indeed, no symptom of attractive merit; and though it had a certain share of that success called scandalous, failed utterly of its effect. On the day, however, of the second appearance of the companion work, a real inquirer did actually present himself before the eyes of Somerset. This was a gentlemanly man, with some marks of recent merriment, and his voice under inadequate control. ‘I beg your pardon,’ said he, ‘but what is the meaning of your extraordinary bill?’ ‘I beg yours,’ returned Somerset hotly. ‘Its meaning is sufficiently explicit.’ And being now, from dire experience, fearful of ridicule, he was preparing to close the door, when the gentleman thrust his cane into the aperture. ‘Not so fast, I beg of you,’ said he. ‘If you really let apartments, here is a possible tenant at your door; and nothing would give me greater pleasure than to see the accommodation and to learn your terms.’ His heart joyously beating, Somerset admitted the visitor, showed him over the various apartments, and, with some return of his persuasive eloquence, expounded their attractions. The gentleman was particularly pleased by the elegant proportions of the drawing-room. ‘This,’ he said, ‘would suit me very well. What, may I ask, would be your terms a week, for this floor and the one above it?’ ‘I was thinking,’ returned Somerset, ‘of a hundred pounds.’ ‘Surely not,’ exclaimed the gentleman. ‘Well, then,’ returned Somerset, ‘fifty.’ The gentleman regarded him with an air of some amazement. ‘You seem to be strangely elastic in your demands,’ said he. ‘What if I were to proceed on your own principle of division, and offer twenty-five?’ ‘Done!’ cried Somerset; and then, overcome by a sudden embarrassment, ‘You see,’ he added apologetically, ‘it is all found money for me.’ ‘Really?’ said the stranger, looking at him all the while with growing wonder. ‘Without extras, then?’ ‘I—I suppose so,’ stammered the keeper of the lodging-house.