and silent for a long, long time, or perhaps only for minutes.  The 
voice of Henry Greech in the hall, enquiring for her, called her to 
herself. Hurriedly she crushed the piece of paper out of sight; he 
would have to be told, of course, but just yet her pain seemed too 
dreadful to be laid bare.  "Comus is dead" was a sentence beyond 
her power to speak.

"I have bad news for you, Francesca, I'm sorry to say," Henry 
announced.  Had he heard, too?

"Henneberg has been here and looked at the picture," he continued, 
seating himself by her side, "and though he admired it immensely as 
a work of art he gave me a disagreeable surprise by assuring me 
that it's not a genuine Van der Meulen.  It's a splendid copy, but 
still, unfortunately, only a copy."

Henry paused and glanced at his sister to see how she had taken the 
unwelcome announcement.  Even in the dim light he caught some of 
the anguish in her eyes.

"My dear Francesca," he said soothingly, laying his hand 
affectionately on her arm, "I know that this must be a great 
disappointment to you, you've always set such store by this 
picture, but you mustn't take it too much to heart.  These 
disagreeable discoveries come at times to most picture fanciers and 
owners.  Why, about twenty per cent. of the alleged Old Masters in 
the Louvre are supposed to be wrongly attributed.  And there are 
heaps of similar cases in this country.  Lady Dovecourt was telling 
me the other day that they simply daren't have an expert in to 
examine the Van Dykes at Columbey for fear of unwelcome 
disclosures.  And besides, your picture is such an excellent copy 
that it's by no means without a value of its own.  You must get 
over the disappointment you naturally feel, and take a 
philosophical view of the matter. . . "

Francesca sat in stricken silence, crushing the folded morsel of 
paper tightly in her hand and wondering if the thin, cheerful voice 
with its pitiless, ghastly mockery of consolation would never stop.

End of the Project Gutenberg eText The Unbearable Bassington