“Do forgive me, rushing off like that. So impulsive. But that’s the way I am—‘stung with the sudden splendor of a thought.’ You see, that was the way I was with you, wasn’t I? And I know you’re an artist too and so you must know that when one idea comes, generally an even brighter one comes rushing on its heels,” he tittered. “I was also a bit frightened, I must confess,” he ran on. “What if Mr. Mycroft had refused? I knew if I asked you, you’d say he would; and of course you’d have been right. So I just rushed on to my fate, risked losing the whole picture—the best so often risks the good, doesn’t it?”

While the little fellow had been pouring out this excited rigmarole, he had been leading us back to the bridge and as Mr. M. followed without any kind of unwillingness, I fell in too. After all, it looked as though we were going to get the photo. As we reached the steps it was Mr. M. who forestalled Hess just as Hess was about to give us some directions. “You would like us, wouldn’t you, to pose on the other side of the bridge-top?”

“Yes, that’s it—just where I had Mr. Silchester.”

I took up my position, picking up the robe, putting down my jacket. Hess arranged the fall of the robe as before. I must admit he was neat at that sort of thing. He moved me to exactly the spot I had held, asked me once more to raise my bared arms to the sun and throw back my head—“Just like a priest of Apollo,” was his phrase, a phrase which I didn’t quite like Mr. M. hearing. And even when Hess remarked to Mr. Mycroft, “with Mr. Silchester it’s an inevitable piece of casting, isn’t it?”—Mr. M. replied only, “Yes, quite a pretty piece of casting.” I could only imagine that now Mr. Mycroft saw that the little fellow was obviously as harmless as a hummingbird—and about as brainless.

But Hess couldn’t stay content with one triumph; he must try to crown it with another. “And you, Mr. Mycroft, you too are going to be perfectly cast,” and he chuckled.

“I am ready to fall in with any of your plans for philanthropy,” was Mr. Mycroft’s answer. The pomposity might have been expected but the agreeability was certainly one more shock of surprise.