Why was he born the son of a small country tradesman, narrow, ignorant, and tyrannical ?--harassed by penury, denied opportunities--while a man like Welby found life from the beginning a broad road, as it were, down a widening valley, to a land of abundance and delight?
But the question led immediately to an answering outburst of vanity.
He paced up and down, turning from the injustice of the past to challenge the future.

A few more years, and the world would know where to place _him_--with regard to the men now in the running--men with half his power--Welby and the like.

A mad arrogance, a boundless confidence in himself, flamed through all his veins.

Let him paint, paint, _paint_--think of nothing, care for nothing but the maturing of his gift! How long he lost himself in this passion of egotism and defiance he hardly knew.

He was roused from it by the servant bringing a lamp; and as she set it down, the light fell upon a memorandum scrawled on the edge of a sketch which was lying on the table: 'Feb.