I found myself quite alone, surrounded by modern-antique pictures of all schools and sizes, of all degrees of dirt and dullness, with all the names of all the famous Old Masters, from Titian to Teniers, inscribed on their frames.

A "pearly little gem," by Claude, with a ticket marked "Sold" stuck into the frame, particularly attracted my attention.

It was Dick's last ten-pound job; and it did credit to the youthful master's abilities as a workman-like maker of Claudes.
I have been informed that, since the time of which I am writing, the business of gentlemen of Mr.Pickup's class has rather fallen off, and that there are dealers in pictures, nowadays, who are as just and honorable men as can be found in any profession or calling, anywhere under the sun.

This change, which I report with sincerity and reflect on with amazement, is, as I suspect, mainly the result of certain wholesale modern improvements in the position of contemporary Art, which have necessitated improvements and alterations in the business of picture-dealing.
In my time, the encouragers of modern painting were limited in number to a few noblemen and gentlemen of ancient lineage, who, in matters of taste, at least, never presumed to think for themselves.

They either inherited or bought a gallery more or less full of old pictures.