"Excellent, excellent!" said de Lesseps admiringly. He smiled a little bit. "I am afraid I did not give you credit for being the far-sighted business man that you are." He turned and glanced over the collection of pictures abstractedly. "A clever thief, though, " he ventured, "might cut a valuable painting, for instance the Rubens, out of the frame, roll it up, conceal it under his coat, and escape."
Kale laughed pleasantly and shook his head.
It was a couple of days later at the hotel that de Lesseps brought up the subject of copying the Whistler. He was profuse in his thanks when Kale volunteered to accompany him to the mansion and witness the preliminary stages of the work. They paused at the ball room door.
"Jennings, " said Kale to the liveried servant there, "this is Mr. de Lesseps. He is to come and go as he likes. He is going to do some work in the ball room here. See that he isn' t disturbed."
De Lesseps noticed the Rubens leaning carelessly against some other pictures, with the holy face of the Madonna toward them. "Really, Mr. Kale, " he protested, "that picture is too valuable to be left about like that. If you will let your servants bring me some canvas, I shall wrap it and place it up on the table here off the floor. Suppose there were mice here!"
Kale thanked him. The necessary orders were given, and finally the picture was carefully wrapped and placed beyond harm' s reach, whereupon de Lesseps adjusted himself, paper, easel, stool, and all, and began his work of copying. There Kale left him.
Three days later Kale just happened to drop in, and found the artist still at his labor.
"I just dropped by, " he explained, "to see how the work in the gallery was getting along. It will be finished in another week. I hope I am not disturbing you? "
"Not at all, " said de Lesseps; "I have nearly finished. See how I am getting along? " He turned the easel toward Kale.