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BY ORDER OF THE CZAR. 301

tume, with a button hole of lilies of the valley, assisted his aristocratic directors to receive the first distinguished crowd of the season.

Since the winter exhibition of the " Rosetti," the quad- rangle, previously used as a carriage entrance, had been transformed into a delightful winter garden with an Oriental fountain, noble palm trees and Eastern exotics, amidst which the contributions of sculpture were deftly and daintily arranged with pleasant lounges, one pic- turesque corner leading into a pleasant tea-room.

Among the visitors was Sam Swynford, who had for the day laid his city business aside to indulge in the first of the great Art functions of the year.

With the defeat of Sam's matrimonial hopes, his finan- cial prosperity had increased ; not simply day by day, but as it would seem almost hour by hour. He had heard nothing of the Milbankes since their departure for Italy, but he had read in that morning's paper an account of the fetes at Venice, and had felt, in spite of himself, envious of the happiness and good fortune of Philip Forsyth. It was to him a matter of melancholy delight to meet Mrs. Chetwynd at the " Rosettis' " in this bright London May time, for she at once commenced to talk of Dolly and Philip and the Milbankes.

Mrs? Chetwynd appeared to take no active part in her husband's work. ' While she heartily shared with him his artistic and occasionally his literary labors, she was rarely in evidence as more than an ordinary workaday wife busy with her domestic and family affairs. She had, there- fore, on this occasion plenty of time to chat with friends and generally enjoy the occasion. She knew Swynford to be somewhat of a patron of the Arts to the extent at any rate of making occasional purchases ; she had heard all about his disappointment in regard to Dolly Nor- cott j she knew that he took a deep interest in the Mil-