f 88 BY ORDER OF THE CZAR.
Philip laid down his palette and brushes, and offering Chetwynd a cigarette, began to smoke one himself.
" The very question the editor of The Evening Critic has been asking in his very interrogatory journal ; and not a bad vacation subject either."
" And what is the conclusion ? " asked the artist.
" That talent does easily what others do with difficulty, while genius does what talent cannot do ; in other words, or rather in Lord Lytton's, ' genius does what it must and talent does what it can.' "
" And what is your own opinion ? "
" When I consider my own particular work," said Chet- wynd, " I come to the conclusion that Carlyle was right when he said that genius is the infinite capacity of taking pains ; and when I look at your sketch, Philip, I believe genius to be the capacity to do with a snap of the fingers or a wave of the hand that which talent with all its infinite pains can never quite succeed in accomplishing."
" You are so much cleverer than I can ever hope to be at logical definitions of things, and in every other way, that it would be absurd on my part to debate so difficult a matter, but I believe industry is genius. Look at the fable of the tortoise and the snail ! I have sketched this thing in quickly, but only under the influence of a sudden feeling for it. Perhaps it will end here ; whereas Smith, who took the medal for design, would, given such a subject, settle down to it, plot away at its details, finish it elabor- ately and a hundred chances to one win the prize."
" It is a quality of genius to underrate its power, to hate drudgery, to rest on its oars ; but you have the higher quality of talent as well as genius, Philip ; you work, and you will paint that subject ' Prisoners on their way to Siberia.' "
" How did you know the subject ? " asked the artist.
" It does not need that angel of yours to come down
