Elizabeth Heren, 1965

Finally the day came, and my father drove Hailstone to Mellon's townhouse at Dupont Circle.

"How much are you going to charge him Bernard?"

"I thought perhaps $5,000."

My father pulled the car over and switched off the engine.

"Bernard, that is out of the question. Mr Mellon is one of the richest men in the world, and an American at that. He thinks you are good enough to paint his portrait, and he expects to pay you properly. You must ask for $35,000 at least."

This was considerably more than my father's annual salary, and probably three or four times the average American salary in 1965. Hailstone looked doubtful, but said he would up the ante.