d not regain her self-possession.

"Why not?" he said, still very gently. "What is the harm? Are we doing
wrong? I cannot see it. I say again, I had no time to shut the door."

"Did she see me?"

"Really I do not know."

He shut the sitting-room door.

"I hope," he said, "that you are not ashamed to be acquainted with me."

His voice sounded hurt, and now an expression of acute vexation had come
into his face.

"Really after what has happened with Dick Garstin to-day I--"

His face now had an expression almost of pain.

"I am really not _canaille_," he said. "I am not accustomed to be
thought of and treated as if I were _canaille_."

"It's all right," she said. "But--you see my mourning! I am in deep
mourning, and I ought not--"

She stopped. She felt the uselessness of her protest, the ungraciousness
of her demeanour. Without another word she went to the sofa by one of
the windows and sat down. He came and sat down beside her.

"I want you to help me about Dick Garstin," he said.

"How? What can I do? I have no influence with him."

"Oh, yes, you have. A lady like you has always influence with a man."

"Not with him."

"But I say you have."

"What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to tell him what I have said to you to-day."

"That you won't have the picture exhibited?"

"Yes."

"He'll only laugh."

"Beg him for your sake to yield."

"But what have I to do with it?"

"Very much, I think. It will be better that he yields--really."

She raised her eyes to his.

"We do not want a scandal, do we?"

"But--"

"If it should come to a fight between Dick Garstin and me there might be
a scandal."

"But my name wouldn't--"

Again she was silent.

"I might try. But it wouldn't be any use."

He put out a hand and took one of hers.

"But it all came through you. Didn't it?"

"But--but you said you had never seen Dick Garstin till he came up and
asked you to sit to him."

"That was not true. I saw him with you that night at the Cafe Royal.
That is why I came to the studio. I knew I should meet you there.
And--you knew."

Again the terribly shrewd glance came into his eyes. She saw it and
felt no strength for denial. From the first he must have thoroughly
understood her.

"You and I, we are not babies," he said gently. "We wanted to know each
other, and so it happened. I have done all this for you. Now I ask you
to tell Dick Garstin for me."

"I'll do what I can," she said.

He