Mrs. Light was prodigiously gracious, and showered down compliments not only on the statues, but on all his possessions.  “Upon my word,” she said, “you men know how to make yourselves comfortable.  If one of us poor women had half as many easy-chairs and knick-knacks, we should be famously abused.  It ’s really selfish to be living all alone in such a place as this.  Cavaliere, how should you like this suite of rooms and a fortune to fill them with pictures and statues?  Christina, love, look at that mosaic table.  Mr. Mallet, I could almost beg it from you.  Yes, that Eve is certainly very fine.  We need n’t be ashamed of such a great-grandmother as that.  If she was really such a beautiful woman, it accounts for the good looks of some of us.  Where is Mr. What ’s-his-name, the young sculptor?  Why is n’t he here to be complimented?”

Christina had remained but for a moment in the chair which Rowland had placed for her, had given but a cursory glance at the statues, and then, leaving her place, had begun to wander round the room—­looking at herself in the mirror, touching the ornaments and curiosities, glancing at the books and prints.  Rowland’s sitting-room was encumbered with bric-a-brac, and she found plenty of occupation.  Rowland presently joined her, and pointed out some of the objects he most valued.

“It ’s an odd jumble,” she said frankly.  “Some things are very pretty—­some are very ugly.  But I like ugly things, when they have a certain look.  Prettiness is terribly vulgar nowadays, and it is not every one that knows just the sort of ugliness that has chic.  But chic is getting dreadfully common too.  There ’s a hint of it even in Madame Baldi’s bonnets.  I like looking at people’s things,” she added in a moment, turning to Rowland and resting her eyes on him.  “It helps you to find out their characters.”

“Am I to suppose,” asked Rowland, smiling, “that you have arrived at any conclusions as to mine?”

“I am rather muddled; you have too many things; one seems to contradict another.  You are very artistic and yet you are very prosaic; you have what is called a ‘catholic’ taste and yet you are full of obstinate little prejudices and habits of thought, which, if I knew you, I should find very tiresome.  I don’t think I like you.”

“You make a great mistake,” laughed Rowland; “I assure you I am very amiable.”

“Yes, I am probably wrong, and if I knew you, I should find out I was wrong, and that would irritate me and make me dislike you more.  So you see we are necessary enemies.”

“No, I don’t dislike you.”

“Worse and worse; for you certainly will not like me.”

“You are very discouraging.”

“I am fond of facing the truth, though some day you will deny that.  Where is that queer friend of yours?”

“You mean Mr. Hudson.  He is represented by these beautiful works.”

Miss Light looked for some moments at Roderick’s statues.  “Yes,” she said, “they are not so silly as most of the things we have seen.  They have no chic, and yet they are beautiful.”