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PEACE CHAPTER VIII PEACE AT my Art Class I generally drew with the students. I taught three evenings a week and for two nights a week I joined the St. Martin's Art School and drew from the nude. They had a com- petition once a year for landscapes done in the summer vacation and a Royal Academician came and judged them. One evening I was drawing and the Professor came to me and told me that the R.A. could not turn up and would I judge the paintings? This flattered me as I did not realize that anybody knew who I was at all. The work was not very good, but one picture I liked verymuch; itwas of a gipsy encampment and painted in the style of the Douanier Rousseau. I gave it the first prize. This I knew would cause some distur- bance. I found that the young man who had painted it was the nephew of Frank Brangwyn. I asked him how much he wanted for it. He only asked a small sum and I bought it from him. The St. Martin's School gave dances from time to time. They were very good and we brought bottles of whisky in suit- cases. I have always had a passion for Art Schools, I don't know why! One doesn't learn very much at them unless one is lucky enough to find an interest- ing professor like John Swan or George Lambert. There is an atmosphere of calm and seriousness that I like and find inspiring. One day I decided to move from Fitzroy Street; why, I can't imagine. I took the top floor of a house in Great James Street^ 115