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[beginning of page] 3. brothers and sisters, and thus come into his real inheritance - the money - and a considerable amount besides. The upshot of it was that he sold me that picture, and as you know, for considerably more than 1,000,000 francs, and it many amuse you to hear that a tremendous law suit is going on at the present moment between Elias and his family, in which the brothers and sisters are trying to get from him their share of the extra amount above the million! The history of the picture has been dealt with fully by Mr. Bernete in his pamphlet, and I have nothing to add. You also have the letter written by Bernete to me when actually in the presence of the picture at Biarritz, where I submitted it to him, but I thought that the story of how the picture ever came to be sold would interest you. I only ask you to keep these facts for your own ears, and those of your personal friends, as some very distinguished people were mixed up in the card scandal, and such an incident is naturally best forgotten. I hope you will not think me inoportune if I congratulate you once more for having secured the picture. I suppose there can be little doubt that it is the greatest picture in the United States to-day and that is saying a good deal. Yours very truly, (Signed) Charles Romer Williams. [end of page]