sighed as she walked back to the ticket booth with Margaret- ta. "You don't need me to help bring the guests up," Sarah said. "I'll stay with Raphaelle for a while."
Margaretta shrugged. Sarah ducked back behind the ticket office and went into the preserving room. There Raphaelle sat on a stool in the corner while Rubens paced before him, drumming his fingers against his lips, his spectacles having slipped down from the bridge of his nose. "Hello," Sarah said. "I came to drink tea with Raphaelle for a while."
Rubens stared sternly, but Raphaelle laughed. "Wonderful. Dear little Sarah always has time for her errant cousin. I'm in disgrace again.
I doubt if you want to drink tea with me. Look at Rubens. God couldn't have looked so angry at Judas."
"You have no right to do this," Rubens said.
Sarah turned to Rubens and whispered. "Don't worry. Raphaelle and I will be fine here for quite a while. You're needed out there.
Please—we'll stay here and talk." She made her face confident and insistent. "All right. Drink tea with him. I'll be close by."
"Fine," Sarah said, putting the water on for tea. She turned to
Raphaelle. "Are you feeling wretched?"
"Not noticeably at the moment. The secret now is to stay seated."
His laughter was brittle and forced. "I brought Titian a present. Would you like to see it? I was going to show it to Rubens, but he's so condescending, I didn't offer."
"I'd love to."
Raphaelle looked at Sarah appraisingly; then fumbled with a sack at his feet. "You know how Titian loves butterflies and moths?"
"Yes." Sarah watched as Raphaelle lifted a flat piece of wood out of the sack and laid it down on the table. She gasped. "A beautiful butterfly." If she hadn't seen it as it came out of the sack, she would have thought it was a real specimen mounted on a board. "It's marvelous!" As she spoke she let her fingers trace lightly over the painting.
"I was going to set it on the top of the cabinet so it would look as though someone had ..."
"Ouch," she said, pulling her hand away. "Heavens! That's a real pin."
Raphaelle roared with laughter. "So you didn't know what was real and what wasn't? When Titian sees it, he will think someone has been tinkering with his specimens and left this one out. See, the back ground is the same as the wood of the cabinet. He'll be furious. You know how haughty he can be. Well, then, when he goes to pick it up, he'll see it's only painted."
Yes, I see." Sarah said. "And I'm sure it would get the desired response out of Titian. It couldn't fail. It's absolutely perfect. Oh, Raphaelle, you have such a unique talent. Even your father couldn't have done this so well."Raphaelle's cheek twitched and his face became deadly serious as Sarah spoke. '"But you use your best talents for a joke. Why?"Raphaelle looked away. "Why not? It might entertain. It might...""Yes, it might what?" Sarah asked, putting tea into the pot."It might show them that I..." he paused."It might show them that you....what?" she continued. Raphaelle waved her question away, and sat back.
Sarah poured the steaming water into the teapot and sat across from him. "It might show them that you are more talented than any of the rest of us?"
Raphaelle was silent for a few seconds; then laughed. "Wonderful Sarah. You're too clever. But I think it's worse than that." His eyes glazed. "I do these things because when the trick works and someone is left feeling and looking a little foolish, then I look and feel smarter.
Don't you see how simple it is?" He lowered his head. "I have no public. To get a patron I must go out and beg. No one wants to pay a decent price to someone as anxious as I am for any morsel of honest work. People laugh at me and my jokes, and sometimes I don't know which." He engaged Sarah's eyes; then put his head in his hands. She walked around the table and stood behind him, laying her hands on his shoulders. Then her arms went around his neck and her cheek touched the top of his head. "Raphaelle, don't be so hard on yourself. Your butterfly is too exquisite to be a joke. Your talent shouldn't be laughed at. You are superior. It doesn't matter whether everyone knows. Some day life will be better for you." She poured the tea into a cup and put it before him.
"If I should suddenly find the world was made up of Sarah Peales, I should know I was in heaven."
Sarah patted his cheek. "Drink your tea, and admit what I say is true."
"It ought to be true. Only it does matter that no one knows and no one appreciates. I know that sounds egotistical; and it is. That's what's wrong with me, I fear." "That you want to be appreciated? We all do. Your father certainly worked for it, so does my father, so does Rembrandt. So..."
"My dear brother Rembrandt. He is a lesson for me, isn't he?" Raphaelle took a cautious sip of tea and leaned back smiling. "His ego is as strong as mine. No, his is stronger, but he has earned father's support. His pride in himself is justified."
"You are just as talented if not as lucky."
"Luck, is it?" Raphaelle said and gulped his tea. Sarah felt helpless.
She wanted to cheer him, but her talk had only set him on a melancholy track. She decided to turn his attention back to the party, and to help him with his joke, though she wouldn't like doing it to Titian. He did behave haughtily at times, and seeing what he thought was one of his prize specimens strewn about would make him surly if anything ' would.
"When you are feeling better," she said, "I'll put the butterfly on the cabinet so Titian will be sure to see it."
Raphaelle's gaze met hers. A thin smile crossed his face. "My best conspirator. Thank you."
"Are you still miserable?"
He nodded. "But I shall rally if I throw up, wash my face in stinging cold water, and come back and drink more of your insipid tea."
Raphaelle braced himself on the side of the table and stood up. "Give me a moment."
Sarah waited uneasily while Raphaelle went to the back stairs. Her thoughts were troubled as she looked at the lifelike butterfly stuck with a collector's pin. Her father and Uncle Charles would be here soon. Major Long was invited and would probably come. She would not want to have Titian laughed at in front of the leader of the expedition, but perhaps Titian would take it with such good humor, the major would actually be pleased. A good sense of humor would be a necessity on such an arduous journey into unknown lands. Sarah put the butterfly on the top of the display cabinet. Now when everyone gathered in the Long Room for music, Titian would be sure to notice. Sarah joined Margaretta, Anna and the visiting Richard Johnson.
Titian stood by the door of the Mammoth Room with his sister Sophy, brother Franklin, Tom Sully and Ben Blakely. Ben stared at Sarah, looking unhappy. She ought to talk to him, she thought, and she smiled his way. Charles came in and spoke to everyone he passed, becoming the focus of attention.
Sarah watched Titian and Raphaelle. She glanced uncomfortably at the butterfly, wishing the joke were over.
Ben left Titian's group and joined Sarah's. At the same time Charles paused nearby. He acknowledged everyone with a sweep of his head, settling his gaze on Richard Johnson, who stood beside Anna. "Good evening. I hope you are enjoying your visit to Philadelphia."
"Indeed I am," Richard said. "Anna has shown me around and made me feel welcome." He gazed
