NATUBE AKD AE,T. 365 



The real bouquet — the living bouquet, with its splendour and 

 its perfumes, might be worth twenty sous. 



For the portrait of this bouquet, that is to say, a flat imita- 

 tion, false in colours, and smelling of oil, he paid 9,950 francs! 

 and is proud and happy at having miade so good a bargain ! 



I conducted him round my garden, but he looked at 

 scarcely anything. A branch of hundred-leaved roses, bend- 

 ing under the weight of its blossoms, for a moment, however, 

 attracted his attention : he looked at it and exclaimed, " How 

 like that is to a bouquet of roses by Van Dael which I have 

 at home!" 



It was very evident that he thought nature had made an 

 attempt to imitate his picture. 



In the evening, after supper, pipes and some Turkey 

 tobacco were brought in, and we chatted Tipon all manner 

 of things; but he always contrived means to bring the sub- 

 ject round to one of his pictures, by some imperceptible 

 thread or other. 



At length, " Listen," said I. " I likewise have pictures, 

 but I will only show them to you by daylight ; to-morrow 

 morning wiU do." 



"And what pictures have you?" asked he, with a more 

 than half disdainful air. 



" I have a great number." 



" Are they pictures by known masters?" 



" I suppose so ; for I have never seen any more beautiful, 

 more grand in their ensemble, or more finished in their 

 details." 



" Ah, ah ! we shaU see that." 



" Oh ! I don't conceal them from anybody. I am not one 

 of those egotistical amateurs, who find less pleasure in the 

 possession of their pictures, than they do in the conviction 

 that others -have none, or at least that they have not the 

 same." 



" Did your collection cost you much?" 



" I got it for nothing." 



"For nothing! Oh, I know what that means! Picture 

 amateurs are divided into two classes : those of the first have 

 expended millions upon their galleries; those of the second, 

 on the contrary, always get their pictures for nothing. Their 



