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It is not necessary for my purpose to describe in detail the series of voyages by way of the Cape of Good Hope which, beginning with the adventures of the brothers Houtmann at this period, and with the circumnavigation of the world by Olivier van Noord, made the Dutch for a long time the leading Christian nation in those golden regions, and which carried the United Netherlands to the highest point of prosperity and power.
The Memphis Cafe it is actually a club was founded by Olaf van Noord two years ago, and at present has a membership including some of the most famous artistic folk of London; not only painters, but authors, composers, actors, actresses. I may add that the peerage, male and female, is represented." "It is actually a gaming-house, I suppose?" said Helen, shrewdly. "A gaming-house? Not at all!
"Dear friends," said Olaf van Noord, taking the girl's hand, and walking into the studio, "permit me to present my model!" Following, came a slightly built man who carried himself with a stoop; an olive faced man, who squinted frightfully, and who dressed immaculately. "What a most... EXTRAORDINARY-looking creature!" whispered Denise Ryland to Helen.
On either side the canopy may be noted the floral wreaths containing the "Zuid Holland" and "Noord Holland" respectively. The room as are the major part of them is richly carpeted with hand-made "Deventers" of artistic design and colour blend. Leaving here, I pass on to a room which is of much importance, namely, the sitting-room of Her Majesty the Queen.
"Do you not think 'Our Lady of the Poppies' remarkable?" said Gianapolis, pleasantly. "I think," replied Denise Ryland, to whom, also, the Greek had been presented by Olaf van Noord, "that it indicates... a disordered... imagination on the part of... its creator."
Individually, no one section of the canvas had life, had meaning; but, as a whole, it glowed, it lived it was genius. Above all, it was uncanny. This, Denise Ryland fully realized, but critics had grown so used to treating the work of Olaf van Noord as a joke, that "Our Lady of the Poppies" in all probability would never be judged seriously.
But presently: "I was reading a very entertaining article," said Exel, turning his monocle upon the physician, "in the Planet to-day, from the pen of Miss Cumberly; Ah! dealing with Olaf van Noord." Sir Brian Malpas suddenly became keenly interested. "You mean in reference to his new picture, 'Our Lady of the Poppies'?" he said. "Yes," replied Exel, "but I was unaware that you knew van Noord?"
"But financially, he is very successful," added Helen. "Financially!" exclaimed Denise Ryland, "FINANCIALLY! To criticize a man's work... financially, is about as... sensible as... to judge the Venus... de Milo... by weight! or to sell the works... of Leonardo... da Vinci by the... yard! Olaf van Noord is nothing but... a fool... of the worst possible... description... imaginable."
"What does it mean, Mr. van Noord?" asked Helen Cumberly, leaving the group of worshipers standing hushed in rapture before the canvas and approaching the painter. "Is there some occult significance in the title?" "It is a priestess," replied the artist, in his dreamy fashion.... "A priestess?" "A priestess of the temple."... Helen Cumberly glanced again at the astonishing picture.
Not long after their marriage the shipping firm in which he was employed failed, and he had to seek for another billet; and, being an energetic, self-reliant man, with no false pride, he shipped as steward on board the Noord Brabant, a hogged-backed, heartbroken and worn-out American lumber ship running between Puget Sound and the Australian colonies.
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