rassment his presence might
cause. Pepita was a good girl, she was dazzled by his works and the
appearance of the house. The master could do what he wanted with her.

"Well, little girl, you stay here. The gentleman is my father; I told
you already. Be sure and be a good girl."

And he went out, followed by the forced laugh of them both, who greeted
this recommendation with uneasy merriment.

A long and painful silence followed. The master did not know what to
say. Timidity and emotion weighed on his will. She seemed no less
disturbed. That great room, so silent and imposing with its massive,
superb decorations, different from anything she had seen, frightened
her. She felt the vague terror which precedes an unknown operation.
Besides, she was disturbed by the man's glowing eyes fixed on her, with
a quiver on his cheeks and a twitching of his lips, as if they were
tormented by thirst.

She soon recovered from her timidity. She was used to these moments of
shamefaced silence which came with the lone meeting of two strangers.
She knew these interviews which begin hesitatingly and end in rough
familiarity.

She looked around with a professional smile, eager to end the unpleasant
situation as soon as possible.

"When you will. Where shall I undress?"

Renovales started at the sound of her voice, as if he had forgotten that
that image could speak. The simplicity with which she dispensed with
explanations surprised him likewise.

His son-in-law did things well; he had brought her well coached, callous
to all surprises.

The master showed her the way to the model's room and remained outside,
prudently, turning his head without knowing why, so as not to see
through the half-opened door. There was a long silence, broken by the
rustle of falling clothes, the metallic click of buttons and hooks.
Suddenly her voice came to the master, smothered, distant with a sort of
timidity.

"My stockings too? Must I take them off?"

Renovales knew this objection of all models when they undressed for the
first time. Lopez de Sosa, carrying his desire of pleasing his father to
the extreme, had spoken to her of giving her body wholly and she
undressed without asking any further explanations, with the calm of
accepted duty, thinking that her presence there was absurd for any other
purpose.

The painter came out of his silence; he called to her uneasily. She must
not stay undressed. In the room there were clothes for her to put on.