Il8 IDLEHURST: 



behalf of my middle-aged ideals, and by way of carry- 

 ing the fight into the enemy's country, lecturing 

 her on the iniquities of modern methods in Art 

 how they all live together in limited quarters of 

 London, painting professional models, and copying 

 Manet's way or studying M. Besnard ; going into 

 the country in the summer (here she makes me a fine 

 curtsey), and sketching anything which reminds 

 them of the Academy ; coming back to Campden 

 Hill or Chelsea in the shortening evenings, running 

 about to each other's studios to show their work ; 

 making out of this more Academy pictures for next 

 year ; and so on ; never getting any fresh fact or 

 matter into the process following each his own 

 narrow line of subject puppy-dogs, herring-boats, 

 swamps, cottage interiors ; carrying on a regulation 

 system, a routine as dead as Egypt. Miss Helen is 

 beginning to crush me with inferences that my 

 objections do not touch the younger schools her 

 school and I am remembering the difference which 

 one's standpoint makes, whether the road lies from 

 or towards the sun, when Mrs. Lydia breaks in on 

 our debate. Smiling at us with a look that in any 

 one else would be quizzing, she stands by the piano 

 and touches one or two chords pianissimo, her pro- 

 test, and our signal at once to leave the strife. I 



