On Christmas Day the picture was on view to Mr. Purcey, who had chanced to “give his car a run,” and to other connoisseurs.  Bianca had invited her model to be present at this function, intending to get her work.  But, slipping at once into a corner, the girl had stood as far as possible behind a canvas.  People, seeing her standing there, and noting her likeness to the picture, looked at her with curiosity, and passed on, murmuring that she was an interesting type.  They did not talk to her, either because they were afraid she could not talk of the things they could talk of, or that they could not talk of the things she could talk of, or because they were anxious not to seem to patronize her.  She talked to one, therefore.  This occasioned Hilary some distress.  He kept coming up and smiling at her, or making tentative remarks or jests, to which she would reply, “Yes, Mr. Dallison,” or “No, Mr. Dallison,” as the case might be.

Seeing him return from one of these little visits, an Art Critic standing before the picture had smiled, and his round, clean-shaven, sensual face had assumed a greenish tint in eyes and cheeks, as of the fat in turtle soup.

The only two other people who had noticed her particularly were those old acquaintances, Mr. Purcey and Mr. Stone.  Mr. Purcey had thought, ’Rather a good-lookin’ girl,’ and his eyes strayed somewhat continually in her direction.  There was something piquant and, as it were, unlawfully enticing to him in the fact that she was a real artist’s model.

Mr. Stone’s way of noticing her had been different.  He had approached in his slightly inconvenient way, as though seeing but one thing in the whole world.

“You are living by yourself?” he had said.  “I shall come and see you.”

Made by the Art Critic or by Mr. Purcey, that somewhat strange remark would have had one meaning; made by Mr. Stone it obviously had another.  Having finished what he had to say, the author of the book of “Universal Brotherhood” had bowed and turned to go.  Perceiving that he saw before him the door and nothing else, everybody made way for him at once.  The remarks that usually arose behind his back began to be heard—­“Extraordinary old man!” “You know, he bathes in the Serpentine all the year round?” “And he cooks his food himself, and does his own room, they say; and all the rest of his time he writes a book!” “A perfect crank!”

CHAPTER V

THE COMEDY BEGINS

The Art Critic who had smiled was—­like all men—­a subject for pity rather than for blame.  An Irishman of real ability, he had started life with high ideals and a belief that he could live with them.  He had hoped to serve Art, to keep his service pure; but, having one day let his acid temperament out of hand to revel in an orgy of personal retaliation, he had since never known when she would slip her chain and come home smothered