In all this, Frank, whose voice I could well distinguish
(its echoes had never left my ear), and which I was satisfied, from
Evelyn's peculiar expression, that she also recognized, bore a prominent
part. Evelyn was astonished. Frank soon appeared, looking the least like
the imaginative and love-vitalized artist possible, and entirely like
the gay young dog I knew he had become. The confused character of
_their_ greetings may be conceived. But of this I professed to be
entirely uncognizant, and, after a hasty visit to the studio, gave Frank
an invitation to dinner on the succeeding day, and we departed.
The money with which I had liberally supplied Frank had induced him to
enter with a youthful zest into the pleasures of life, and his dream of
love for Evelyn had attenuated into a mere memory. He was now a
successful and courted artist. I was possessed of another fact in
reference to him--that he was very much domesticated in an American
family residing in the city, one of whose young lady members was greatly
disposed, much to Frank's satisfaction, to recompense to him whatever
subtractions from his fund of love had previously been wasted on Evelyn.
Access to this family had been secured to Frank on my recommendation,
given before they left America.
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