“Oh, he will back a winner soon. And you?”
“I am at the Bagsby Bags…”
“Ah, I shall come before I leave for America. i am going to paint some masterpieces…early Italians, for some assorted museums there.”
“Lots of luck.”
“Tell me, this banker Mellon, what does he like?”
“Early Italians.” “Ah, I must take over my Titians and some El Groecos, maybe?”
“Maybe,” I said, and we shook hands and Teacup went off to see a small-boned blonde who said she knew the underworld of London like the palm of her hand; it was a pretty hand.
I have never seen the Mellon collection. I never will, I think. Teacup is very good, but I doubt if he cracked that collection. Still I remember that Titian of his… but that's another story.
I went home and next morning sent Mr. Pettie in Paris a wire.
LORD D VERY SATISFIELD WITH PAINTING JUST AS IT IS YOUR FEARS GROUNDLESS…
And two months after that Colonel Bagsby came home from Epsom Downs looking very deflated and Mrs. Bags took his shoes off and made him a double Scotch.
“Oh, I've been had!” said the Colonel. “Have I been had!”
“'Oo 'ad you?” asked Mrs. Bags.
“Lord D pulled a packet on us! Had a dark horse hidden for a long time, and he opened up today. Took six of us…we pooled his bets…my, how he took us! We shall have to pinch, dear, for some time now. But give me another stake and I'll take back what we lost today.”
Mrs. Bags looked at me. “todiy or any diy, youn'um keep awiy from 'osses. It's the rich 'ave all the fun…it's us poor 'oo piy and piy for it…”
Soon after that a London Magazine ran a color plate on Lord D's famous Corot. And this time it was not by Teacup…
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