:

"But you never _heard_ of me before to-day! I don't believe you
_really_ liked that portrait over there so very much."

With a candor that impressed her he assured her: "I give you my word of
honor I've never felt quite so about any portrait before."

Here Miss Desprey had a cup of tea handed her by a vague-eyed girl who
stumbled over Bulstrode in her ministrations, much to her confusion.

Laura Desprey drank her tea with avidity, put the cup down on the table
near, and leaning over to her patron, exclaimed:

"I just _can't_ believe I've got an order!"

Bulstrode affirmed smiling: "You have, and if you could arrange to stay
over for it--if it would," he delicately put, "be worth your while----"

She said quietly:

"Yes, it would be worth my while."

A _distrait_ look passed over her face for a second, and Bulstrode saw
he was forgotten in, as he supposed, a painter's vision of an order and
its contingent technicalities.

"I can begin at once." He lost no time. "I'm quite free."

"But--I have no studio."

"There must be studios to rent."

Yes. She knew of one; she could secure it for a month. It would take
that time--she was a slow worker.

"But we haven't discussed the price." Before so much poverty and
struggle--not that it was new to him, but clothed like this in beauty
it was rare and appealed to him--he was embarrassed by his riches.
"Now the price. I want," he meditated, "a full-length portrait, with a
great deal of background, just as handsome and expensive looking as you
can paint it."

He exquisitely sacrificed himself and winced at his own words, and saw
her color with amusement and a little scorn, but he went on bravely:

"Now for a man like me, Miss Desprey--I am sure you will know what I
mean--a man who has never been painted before--this picture will have
to cost me a lot of money. You see otherwise my friends would not
appreciate it."

In the vulgarian he was making himself out to be his friends would not
have recognized the unpretentious Bulstrode.

"Get the place, Miss Desprey, and let me come as soon as you can. All
this change of plans will give you extra expenses--I understand about
that! Every time I change my rooms it costs me a fortune. Now if you
will let me send you over a check for half payment on the picture, for,
let us say"--he made it as large as he dared and a quarter of what he
wanted. They were alone in the tea-room, the motley gathering had
weeded it