AshehadtoldLadyMaryPercy，MacMasterhadfoundtheimperativeinspirationofhispurposeinTreffinger’sunfinishedpicture，theMarriageofPhaedra。HehadalwaysbelievedthatthekeytoTreffinger’sindividualitylayinhissingulareducation；intheRomandelaRose，inBoccaccio，andAmadis，thoseworkswhichhadliterallytranscribedthemselvesupontheblanksouloftheLondonstreetboy，andthroughwhichhehadbeenbornintotheworldofspiritualthings。Treffingerhadbeenamanwholivedafterhisimagination；andhismind，hisidealsand，asMacMasterbelieved，evenhispersonalethics，hadtothelastbeencoloredbythetrendofhisearlytraining。Therewasinhimalikethefreshnessandspontaneity，thefrankbrutalityandthereligiousmysticism，whichlaywellbackofthefifteenthcentury。IntheMarriageofPhaedraMacMasterfoundtheultimateexpressionofthisspirit，thefinalwordastoTreffinger’spointofview。
AsinallTreffinger’sclassicalsubjects，theconceptionwaswhollymedieval。ThisPhaedra，justturningfromherhusbandandmaidenstogreetherhusband’sson，givinghimherfirstfearsomeglancefromunderherhalf-liftedveil，wasnodaughterofMinos。Thedaughterofheathenesseandtheearlychurchshewas；doomedtotorturingvisionsandscourgings，andthewranglingofsoulwithflesh。ThevenerableTheseusmighthavebeenvictoriousCharlemagne，andPhaedra’smaidensbelongedratherinthetrainofBlancheofCastilethanattheCretancourt。IntheearlierstudiesHippolytushadbeendonewithamorepagansuggestion；butineachsuccessivedrawingthegloriousfigurebadbeendefloweredofsomethingofitssereneunconsciousness，until，inthecanvasundertheskylight，heappearedaveryChristianknight。Thismalefigure，andthefaceofPhaedra，paintedwithsuchmagicalpreservationoftoneundertheheavyshadowoftheveil，wereplainlyTreffinger’shighestachievementsofcraftsmanship。Bywhatlaborhehadreachedtheseeminglyinevitablecompositionofthepicture——withitstwentyfigures，itsplenitudeoflightandair，itsrestfuldistancesseenthroughwhiteporticoes——countlessstudiesborewitness。
FromJames’sattitudetowardthepictureMacMastercouldwellconjecturewhatthepainter’shadbeen。ThispicturewasalwaysuppermostinJames’smind；itscustodianshipformed，inhiseyes，hisoccupation。Hewasmanifestlyapprehensivewhenvisitors——notmanycamenowadays——lingerednearit。“ItwastheMarriageaskilled’im，“hewouldoftensay，“andforthematter’othat，itdidliketo’avbeenthedeathofallofus。“
BytheendofhissecondweekinLondonMacMasterhadbegunthenotesforhisstudyofHughTreffingerandhiswork。WhenhisresearchesledhimoccasionallytovisitthestudiosofTreffinger’sfriendsanderstwhiledisciples，hefoundtheirTreffingermannerfadingastheringofTreffinger’spersonalitydiedoutinthem。OnebyonetheywerestealingbackintothefoldofnationalBritishart；thehandthathadwoundthemupwasstill。MacMasterdespairedofthemandconfinedhimselfmoreandmoreexclusivelytothestudio，tosuchofTreffinger’slettersaswereavailable——theywereforthemostpartsingularlynegativeandcolorless——andtohisinterrogationofTreffinger’sman。
HecouldnothimselfhavetracedthesuccessivestepsbywhichhewasgraduallyadmittedintoJames’sconfidence。
Certainlymostofhisadroitstrategiestothatendfailedhumiliatingly，andwhateveritwasthatbuiltupanunderstandingbetweenthemmusthavebeeninstinctiveandintuitiveonbothsides。WhenatlastJamesbecameanecdotal，personal，therewasthatineverywordheletfallwhichputbreathandbloodintoMacMaster’sbook。Jameshadsolongbeensteepedinthatpenetratingpersonalitythathefairlyexudedit。Manyofhisveryphrases，mannerisms，andopinionswereimpressionsthathehadtakenonlikewetplasterinhisdailycontactwithTreffinger。Inwardlyhewaslinedwithcast-offepitheliums，asoutwardlyhewascladinthepainter’sdiscardedcoats。Ifthepainter’sletterswereformalandperfunctory，ifhisexpressionstohisfriendshadbeenextravagant，contradictory，andoftenapparentlyinsincere——still，MacMasterfelthimselfnotentirelywithoutauthenticsources。ItwasJameswhopossessedTreffinger’slegend；itwaswithJamesthathehadlaidasidehispose。Onlyinhisstudio，alone，andfacetofacewithhiswork，asitseemed，hadthemaninvariablybeenhimself。Jameshadknownhimintheoneattitudeinwhichhewasentirelyhonest；
theirrelationhadfallenwellwithinthepainter’sonlyindubitableintegrity。James’sreportofTreffingerwasdistortedbynohallucinationofartisticinsight，coloredbynointerpretationofhisown。Hemerelyheldwhathehadheardandseen；hismindwasasortofcameraobscura。Hisverylimitationsmadehimthemoreliteralandminutelyaccurate。
Onemorning，whenMacMasterwasseatedbeforetheMarriageofPhaedra，Jamesenteredonhisusualroundofdusting。
“I’ve’eardfromLydyEllingbythepost，sir，“heremarked，“an’she’sgiveh’ordersto’avethe’ouseputinreadiness。I
doubtshe’llbe’erebyThursdayorFridaynext。“
“Shespendsmostofhertimeabroad？“queriedMacMaster；onthesubjectofLadyTreffingerJamesconsistentlymaintainedaverydelicatereserve。
“Well，youcould’ardlysayshedoesthat，sir。Shefindsthe’ouseabitdull，Idaresay，sodurin’theseasonshestopsmostlywithLydyMaryPercy，atGrosvenorSquare。LydyMary’sah’onlysister。“Afterafewmomentshecontinued，speakinginjerksgovernedbytherigorofhisdusting:“H’onlythismorningIcomeuponthisscarfpin，“exhibitingaverystrikinginstanceofthatarticle，“an’Irecalledas’owSir’Ughgiveitmewhen’ewasacourtingofLydyElling。BlowedifIeverseeamangoinfora’omanlike’im！’Ewasthatgone，sir。’Eneverwentinonanythinkso’ardbeforenorsince，till’ewentinontheMarriagethere——though’emostlywentinonthingsprettykeen；’adthemeasleswhen’ewasthirty，strongascholera，an’comeclosetodyin’of’em。
’Ewasn’tstrongforLydyElling’sset；theywasabittoostifffor’im。Afreean’easygentleman，’ewas；’eliked’isdinnerwithafewfriendsan’themjolly，but’ewasn’tmuchonwhatyoumightcallbigaffairs。Butonce’ewentinforLydyElling’ebroke’imselftonewpaces；Hegiveaway’isringsan’pins，an’
thetylor’smanan’the’aberdasher’smanwasat’isroomscontinual。’Egot’imselfputupforaclubinPiccadilly；’estarved’imselfthin，an’worrited’imselfwhite，an’ironed’imselfout，an’drawed’imselftightasabowstring。Itwasagoodjob’ecomeawinner，orIdon’tknoww’at’d’abeentopay。“
Thenextweek，inconsequenceofaninvitationfromLadyEllenTreffinger，MacMasterwentoneafternoontotaketeawithher。Hewasshownintothegardenthatlaybetweentheresidenceandthestudio，wheretheteatablewassetunderagnarledpeartree。LadyEllenroseasheapproached——hewasastonishedtonotehowtallshewas-andgreetedhimgraciously，sayingthatshealreadyknewhimthroughhersister。MacMasterfeltacertainsatisfactioninher；inherreassuringpoiseandrepose，inthecharmingmodulationsofhervoiceandtheindolentreserveofherfull，almondeyes。Hewasevendelightedtofindherfacesoinscrutable，thoughitchilledhisownwarmthandmadetheopenfranknesshehadwishedtopermithimselfimpossible。Itwasalongface，narrowatthechin，verydelicatelyfeatured，yetsteeledbyanimpassivemaskofself-control。Itwasbehindjustsuchfinelycut，close-sealedfaces，MacMasterreflected，thatnaturesometimeshidastonishingsecrets。ButinspiteofthissuggestionofhardnesshefeltthattheunerringtastethatTreffingerhadalwaysshowninlargermattershadnotdesertedhimwhenhecametothechoosingofawife，andheadmittedthathecouldnothimselfhaveselectedawomanwholookedmoreasTreffinger’swifeshouldlook。
Whilehewasexplainingthepurposeofhisfrequentvisitstothestudiosheheardhimwithcourteousinterest。“Ihaveread，Ithink，everythingthathasbeenpublishedonSirHughTreffinger’swork，anditseemstomethatthereismuchlefttobesaid，“heconcluded。
“Ibelievetheyareratherinadequate，“sheremarkedvaguely。Shehesitatedamoment，absentlyfingeringtheribbonsofhergown，thencontinued，withoutraisinghereyes；“IhopeyouwillnotthinkmetooexactingifIasktoseetheproofsofsuchchaptersofyourworkashavetodowithSirHugh’spersonallife。Ihavealwaysaskedthatprivilege。“
MacMasterhastilyassuredherastothis，adding，“Imeantotouchononlysuchfactsinhispersonallifeashavetododirectlywithhiswork——suchashismonkisheducationunderGhillini。“
“Iseeyourmeaning，Ithink，“saidLadyEllen，lookingathimwithwide，uncomprehendingeyes。
WhenMacMasterstoppedatthestudioonleavingthehousehestoodforsometimebeforeTreffinger’soneportraitofhimself，thatbrigandofapicture，withitsfullthroatandsquarehead；
theshortupperlipblackenedbytheclose-clippedmustache，thewiryhairtosseddownovertheforehead，thestrongwhiteteethsethardonashortpipestem。Hecouldwellunderstandwhatmanifoldtorturesthemeregrainoftheman’sstrongredandbrownfleshmighthaveinflicteduponawomanlikeLadyEllen。
Hecouldconjecture，too，Treffinger’simpotentrevoltagainstthatveryreposewhichhadsodazzledhimwhenitfirstdefiedhisdaring；andhowoncepossessedofit，hisfirstinstincthadbeentocrushit，sincehecouldnotmeltit。
TowardthecloseoftheseasonLadyEllenTreffingerlefttown。MacMaster’sworkwasprogressingrapidly，andheandJamesworeawaythedaysintheirpeculiarrelation，whichbythistimehadmuchoffriendliness。ExceptingfortheregularvisitsofaJewishpicturedealer，therewerefewintrusionsupontheirsolitude。OccasionallyapartyofAmericansrangatthelittledoorinthegardenwall，butusuallytheydepartedspeedilyfortheMoorishhallandtinklingfountainofthegreatshowstudioofLondon，notfaraway。
ThisJew，anAustrianbybirth，whohadalargebusinessinMelbourne，Australia，wasamanofconsiderablediscrimination，andatonceselectedtheMarriageofPhaedraastheobjectofhisespecialinterest。When，uponhisfirstvisit，Lichtensteinhaddeclaredthepictureoneofthethingsdonefortime，MacMasterhadratherwarmedtowardhimandhadtalkedtohimveryfreely。
Later，however，theman’srepulsivepersonalityandinnatevulgaritysoworeuponhimthat，themoregenuinetheJew’sappreciation，themoreheresenteditandthemorebasehesomehowfeltittobe。ItannoyedhimtoseeLichtensteinwalkingupanddownbeforethepicture，shakinghisheadandblinkinghiswateryeyesoverhisnoseglasses，ejaculating:“Dotisachem，achem！
Itiswordttogomedendousantmilesforsuchabainting，eh？TomakeEurobeabbreciatesuchaworkofardtitisnecessarytotakeitawaywhilesheisnapping。Shehasneverabbreciateduntilshehaslost，but，“knowingly，“shewillbuyback。“
Jameshad，fromthefirst，feltsuchadistrustofthemanthathewouldneverleavehimaloneinthestudioforamoment。