Of course. And I shall be very pleased to stay for a few days. Very kind of you to ask me.

UNCLE RICHARD

Not at all, Richard, not at all! I--

RICHARD

On Monday I must return to New York and look for a studio. With the book coming out I feel I shall have no trouble selling my work.

UNCLE RICHARD

Studio? Isn't that--hem! rather _Bohemian_, Richard?

RICHARD

Good gracious, uncle, you haven't been reading George Moore, have you?

UNCLE RICHARD

But Richard, did you not understand that I wanted you to stay here longer than that?

RICHARD

Why no. How long did you mean?

UNCLE RICHARD

Er--I hadn't thought, exactly. I mean that I wanted you to bring your things here--bring your things here and just live on with me.

RICHARD

I had no idea you meant _that_. Anyhow, as I couldn't paint here, it's impossible. But, of course, if you care to have me stay a few days longer--

UNCLE RICHARD

But I have everything arranged for you here. Your room--everything.

RICHARD

But you see, uncle, my work--

UNCLE RICHARD

I hope you will give up your art, but if you must paint I will provide you a room for it. Do you know how many rooms there are in this house, Richard?

RICHARD

Really, Uncle Richard, I thank you, but--

UNCLE RICHARD

Don't mention it. And of course you can see to its proper arrangement yourself.

RICHARD

I had no idea of this when I came and--but you see, it's not only the studio an artist requires, it's atmosphere, the atmosphere of enthusiasm and feeling. You might as well give a business man a brand new office equipment and turn him loose on the Sahara desert as to shut a painter up in a town like this and expect him to create. Artists need atmosphere just as business men need banks. It's the meeting of like forces that makes anything really go.

UNCLE RICHARD

But we are not wholly barbarous here, Richard. _This_, for example, and no first-cla.s.s New England city lacks culture.

RICHARD

I suppose there's no use explaining, but what first-cla.s.s New England cities regard as _culture_ your real artist avoids as he would avoid poison.

UNCLE RICHARD

Well, well. But circ.u.mstances--really, Richard, don't you think it your _duty_ to stay?

RICHARD

Why?

UNCLE RICHARD

Must I explain? We are met, after a long separation, in circ.u.mstances personally sorrowful to me, and I trust, to some extent, to you as well.

We....

RICHARD

Yes, a _long_ separation.

UNCLE RICHARD

I admit, Richard, that from your point of view my att.i.tude has not always been as--as considerate, perhaps, as you might have expected. But I have been a very busy man, and--

RICHARD

As far as I am concerned, uncle, I have nothing to blame you for; but my mother....

UNCLE RICHARD

Your mother? Surely, Richard, your mother never criticised me to you? She was much too fine a woman. Besides, I helped her in many ways you may know nothing about.

RICHARD

No, mother said nothing. She wouldn't have, anyhow--and as far as your helping her is concerned, I can only judge of that by results.

UNCLE RICHARD