.

KATE WRITES A LETTER.
Bertram feared that he knew, before the portrait was hung, that it was a failure.

He was sure that he knew it on the evening of the twentieth when he encountered the swiftly averted eyes of some of his artist friends, and saw the perplexed frown on the faces of others.

But he knew, afterwards, that he did not really know it--till he read the newspapers during the next few days.
There was praise--oh, yes; the faint praise that kills.

There was some adverse criticism, too; but it was of the light, insincere variety that is given to mediocre work by unimportant artists.