came, with an address where communications might be sent, and no artist's

name affixed. The design was new and elegant, but faulty; so faulty, that

although drawn with the hand and eye of taste, it was evidently the work of

one who was not an architect. Raymond contemplated it with delight; the

more he gazed, the more pleased he was; and yet the errors multiplied under

inspection. He wrote to the address given, desiring to see the draughtsman,

that such alterations might be made, as should be suggested in a

consultation between him and the original conceiver.

A Greek came. A middle-aged man, with some intelligence of manner, but with

so common-place a physiognomy, that Raymond could scarcely believe that he

was the designer. He acknowledged that he was not an architect; but the

idea of the building had struck him, though he had sent it without the

smallest hope of its being accepted. He was a man of few words. Raymond

questioned him; but his reserved answers soon made him turn from the man to

the drawing. He pointed out the errors, and the alterations that he wished

to be made; he offered the Greek a pencil that he might correct the sketch

on the spot; this was refused by his visitor, who said that he perfectly

understood, and would work at it at home. At length Raymond suffered him to

depart.

The next day he returned. The design had been re-drawn; but many defects

still remained, and several of the instructions given had been

misunderstood. "Come," said Raymond, "I yielded to you yesterday, now

comply with my request--take the pencil."

140

The Last Man