ThereisnoneofthehorridEnglishbarbarityoffeelingaboutthesocialpositionofanartistinthishouse。Somuchofmyearlylifehasbeenpassedabroad，thatIhavequitecastmyinsularskininthatrespect。
IwishIcouldsaythesameofthegentry——detestableword，butIsupposeImustuseit——ofthegentryintheneighbourhood。TheyaresadGothsinArt，MrHartright。People，Idoassureyou，whowouldhaveopenedtheireyesinastonishment，iftheyhadseenCharlesthefifthpickupTitian’sbrushforhim。Doyoumindputtingthistrayofcoinsbackinthecabinet，andgivingmethenextonetoit？Inthewretchedstateofmynerves，exertionofanykindisunspeakablydisagreeabletome。Yes。Thankyou。’
Asapracticalcommentaryontheliberalsocialtheorywhichhehadjustfavouredmebyillustrating，MrFairlie’scoolrequestratheramusedme。Iputbackonedrawerandgavehimtheother，withallpossiblepoliteness。
Hebegantriflingwiththenewsetofcoinsandthelittlebrushesimmediately；
languidlylookingatthemandadmiringthemallthetimehewasspeakingtome。