The comments only inflamed his anxiety. “Brilliant piece of painting, isn’t it?” one would say, and a female voice would reply, “But so exceedingly peculiar; you’re not going to tell me you positively like it? I call it quite hideous!” “That’s not the fault of the artist; you see he has been absolutely truthful and sincere; and then, what masterly drawing!” “Yes, look at those hands. And the colour, the brio, the consummate verve and audacity of the treatment; splendid, really splendid work of undoubted genius.” “Now, did you ever see anything so odd in all your life?” “Isn’t it wonderful? — but one expects this sort of thing here!”
But at last he gradually succeeded to a foremost place, and the first glance at his work was distinctly reassuring, though even then the tantalising reflectio
