t he could do greater things if he were
altogether freed from the task of decorating the palace, which had kept
him far too long in one limited sequence of production. There was,
moreover, a selfish consideration of vanity in her view, closely linked
with her unbounded admiration for her husband. She knew that she was
beautiful, and she wished his greatest work to be a painting of herself.

Gloria, however, wished also to take a position in Roman society, and
the only person who could help her and her husband to cross the line was
Francesca Campodonico. It was therefore impossible for Gloria to break
up the intimacy altogether, however much she might wish to do so.
Meanwhile, too, Reanda had not finished his frescoes.

Soon after the marriage, which took place in the summer, Dalrymple left
Rome, intending to be absent but a few months in Scotland, where his
presence was necessary on account of certain family affairs and
arrangements consequent upon the death of Lord Redin, the head of his
branch of the Dalrymples, and of Lord Redin's son only a few weeks
later, whereby the title went to an aged great-uncle of Angus
Dalrymple's, who was unmarried, so that Dalrymple's only brother became
the next heir.

Gloria was therefore quite alone with her husband. Paul Griggs had also
left Rome for a time on business connected with his journalistic career.
He had in reality been unwilling to expose himself to the unnecessary
suffering of witnessing Gloria's happiness, and had taken the earliest
opportunity of going away. Gloria herself was at first pleased by his
departure. Later, however, she wished that he would come back. She had
no one to whom she could turn when she was in need of any advice on
matters which Reanda could not or would not decide.

Reanda himself was at first as absolutely happy as he had expected to
be, and Francesca Campodonico congratulated herself on having brought
about a perfectly successful match. While he continued to work at the
Palazzetto Borgia, the two were often together for hours, as in former
times. Gloria had at first come regularly in the course of the morning
and sat in the hall while her husband was painting, but she had found it
a monotonous affair after a while. Reanda could not talk perpetually.
More than once, indeed, he introduced his wife's face amongst the many
he painted, and she was pleased, though not satisfied. He could not make
her one of the central figures which appeared throug