Thank you so much."
He bowed awkwardly enough, stammering some unintelligible reply, and
the lady moved away with Mr. Calvin, who observed as the pair emerged
into the open air:
"It is such a relief to me that this statue has turned out so well.
There has really been a good deal of feeling and wire-pulling, and some
New York friends of mine will never forgive me that the commission was
not given to one of their men. I really feel as if the thing had been
made almost a personal matter."
"It must be a great satisfaction to you," his companion returned, "that
he has succeeded."
"It is," was Calvin's reply. "I meant to see Mr. Rangley and ask him to
say a good word in the _Observer,_ but everybody is so much pleased
that I think he may be trusted to be."
"Oh, he must be," she answered.
And as she spoke Tom Bently passed by, quietly smiling to himself.
XXX
THE WORLD IS STILL DECEIVED.
Merchant of Venice; iii.--2.
On the evening following his reception, Orin Stanton presented himself
at the rooms of Melissa. He was fairly beaming with self-complacency
and gratification. He had been awarded the commission, the exhibition
of his model had been attended, as he assured Melissa, "by no end of
swells," and five thousand dollars had been paid over to him as an
advance upon which to begin his work.
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