nd the
lips, rather too full, showed almost blood-like over the strong white
teeth. There was here, like a flash of passion, something that spoke
of awakening womanhood, still unconscious of itself amidst those other
traits of childlike softness.

But suddenly a shiver rippled over the girl's satiny skin. Perhaps
she had felt the weight of that gaze thus mentally dissecting her. She
opened her eyes very wide and uttered a cry.

'Ah! great heavens!'

Sudden terror paralysed her at the sight of that strange room, and that
young man crouching in his shirt-sleeves in front of her and devouring
her with his eyes. Flushing hotly, she impulsively pulled up the
counterpane.

'Well, what's the matter?' cried Claude, angrily, his crayon suspended
in mid-air; 'what wasp has stung you now?'

He, whose knowledge of womankind was largely limited to professional
models, was at a loss to understand the girl's action.

She neither spoke nor stirred, but remained with the counterpane tightly
wrapped round her throat, her body almost doubled up, and scarcely
showing an outline beneath her coverings.

'I won't eat you, will I?' urged Claude. 'Come, just lie as you were,
there's a good girl.'

Again she blushed to her very ears. At last she stammered, 'Oh, no,
monsieur, no--pray!'

But he began to lose his temper altogether. One of the angry fits to
which he was subject was coming upon him. He thought her obstinacy
stupid. And as in response to his urgent requests she only began to sob,
he quite lost his head in despair before his sketch, thinking that he
would never be able to finish it, and would thus lose a capital study
for his picture.

'Well, you won't, eh? But it's idiotic. What do you take me for? Have
I annoyed you at all? You know I haven't. Besides, listen, it is very
unkind of you to refuse me this service, because, after all, I sheltered
you--I gave up my bed to you.'

She only continued to cry, with her head buried in the pillow.

'I assure you that I am very much in want of this sketch, else I
wouldn't worry you.'

He grew surprised at the girl's abundant tears, and ashamed at
having been so rough with her, so he held his tongue at last, feeling
embarrassed, and wishing too that she might have time to recover a bit.
Then he began again, in a very gentle tone:

'Well, as it annoys you, let's say no more about it. But if you only
knew. I've got a figure in my picture yonder which doesn't make head-way
at all