Nolan, the young Irishman who "did for" Carlton, knew better than to
move it when he found it there. He had learned to study his master
since he had joined him in London, and understood that one photograph
in the silver frame was entitled to more consideration than three
others on the writing-desk or half a dozen on the mantel-piece. Nolan
had seen them come and go; he had watched them rise and fall; he had
carried notes to them, and books and flowers; and had helped to dispose
them from the silver frame and move them on by degrees down the line,
until they went ingloriously into the big brass bowl on the side table.
Nolan approved highly of this last choice. He did not know which one
of the three in the group it might be; but they were all pretty, and
their social standing was certainly distinguished.
Guido, the Italian model who ruled over the studio, and Nolan were
busily packing when Carlton entered. He always said that Guido
represented him in his professional and Nolan in his social capacity.
Guido cleaned the brushes and purchased the artists' materials; Nolan
cleaned his riding-boots and bought his theatre and railroad tickets.
"Guido," said Carlton, "there are two sketches I made in Germany last
year, one of the Prime Minister, and one of Ludwig the actor; get them
out for me, will you, and pack them for shipping. Nolan," he went on,
"here is a telegram to send."
Nolan would not have read a letter, but he looked upon telegrams as
public documents, the reading of them as part of his perquisites. This
one was addressed to Oscar Von Holtz, First Secretary, German Embassy,
Washington, D.C., and the message read:
"Please telegraph me full title and address Princess Aline of
Hohenwald. Where would a letter reach her?
"MORTON CARLTON."
The next morning Nolan carried to the express office a box containing
two oil-paintings on small canvases. They were addressed to the man in
London who attended to the shipping and forwarding of Carlton's
pictures in that town.
There was a tremendous crowd on the New York. She sailed at the
obliging hour of eleven in the morning, and many people, in
consequence, whose affection would not have stood in the way of their
breakfast, made it a point to appear and to say goodbye. Carlton, for
his part, did not notice them; he knew by experience that the
attractive-looking people always leave a steamer when the whistle
blows, and that the next most attractive-looking, who remain on board,
are ill all the way over. A man that he knew seized him by the arm as
he was entering his cabin, and asked if he were crossing or just seeing
people off.
"Well, then, I want to introduce you to Miss Morris and her aunt, Mrs.
Downs; they are going over, and I should be glad if you would be nice
to them. But you know her, I guess?" he asked, over his shoulder, as
Carlton pushed his way after him down the deck.
"I know who she is," he said.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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