Page 404 - of-human-bondage-

chance.’
Monsieur Foinet slightly shrugged his shoulders.
‘You have a certain manual dexterity. With hard work
and perseverance there is no reason why you should not be-
come a careful, not incompetent painter. You would find
hundreds who painted worse than you, hundreds who
painted as well. I see no talent in anything you have shown
me. I see industry and intelligence. You will never be any-
thing but mediocre.’
Philip obliged himself to answer quite steadily.
‘I’m very grateful to you for having taken so much trou-
ble. I can’t thank you enough.’
Monsieur Foinet got up and made as if to go, but he
changed his mind and, stopping, put his hand on Philip’s
shoulder.
‘But if you were to ask me my advice, I should say: take
your courage in both hands and try your luck at something
else. It sounds very hard, but let me tell you this: I would
give all I have in the world if someone had given me that
advice when I was your age and I had taken it.’
Philip looked up at him with surprise. The master forced
his lips into a smile, but his eyes remained grave and sad.
‘It is cruel to discover one’s mediocrity only when it is too
late. It does not improve the temper.’
He gave a little laugh as he said the last words and quick-
ly walked out of the room.
Philip mechanically took up the letter from his uncle.
The sight of his handwriting made him anxious, for it was
his aunt who always wrote to him. She had been ill for the

0