hen, growing curious, turned round. As he did so he saw
a tall, very handsome dark girl, who had certainly not been in the room
when he entered it, going slowly, and as if reluctantly, towards the
doorway. She was obviously a woman of the demi-monde and probably
French. As she reached the door she turned her smart, impudent head and
covered Miss Van Tuyn with an appraising look, cold, keen, vicious in
its detached intensity, a look such as only a woman can send to another
woman.

Then she went out, followed by Raoul, who seemed rather agitated, and
whose back looked appealing.

"Black hair with blue lights in it!" said Garstin. "What a beauty!"

Miss Van Tuyn sighed.

"Why wouldn't she stay?"

He was still sitting half turned towards the door.

"A table with flowers all ready for her! And she goes! Was she alone?
Ah--who was with her?"

"Arabian!" said Miss Van Tuyn, coldly.

"And he--"

"He saw us!"

"And took her away! What a lark! Too timid to face us! The naughty boy
caught out in an escapade! I'll chaff him to-morrow. All their dinner
wasted, and I'll bet it was a good one."

He chuckled over his wine.

"Did he know that you saw him?"

"I don't know. He was behind her. He barely showed himself, saw us and
vanished. He must have called to her, beckoned from the hall. She went
quite up to the table."

"So--you've taught him timidity! He doesn't want you to know of his
under life."

"Oh, for heaven's sake let us talk of something else!" said Miss Van
Tuyn, with an almost passionate note of exasperation. "You bore me,
bore me, bore me with this man! He seems becoming an obsession with you.
Paint him, for God's sake, and then let there be an end of him as far as
we are concerned. There are lots of other men better-looking than he is.
But once you have taken an idea into your head there is no peace until
you have worked it out on canvas. Genius it may be, but it's terribly
tiresome to everyone about you. Paint the man--and then let him sink
back into the depths!"

"Like a sea monster, eh?"

"He is horrible. I always knew it."

"Come, now! You told me--"

"It doesn't matter what I told you. He is horrible."

"What! Just because he comes out to dine with a pretty girl of a certain
class? I had no idea you were such a Puritan. Raoul!"

"M'sieu!"

Garstin was evidently enjoying himself.

"I know those women! Arabian's catching it like the devil in Conduit
Street. She's giving him something he