to be true," Nick said. "But where did you
learn that one's larder's full in proportion as one's work's fine?"

Peter waived this curious point--he only continued to look at the
picture; after which he roundly brought out: "I'll give you your price
for it on the spot."

"Ah you're so magnanimous that you shall have it for nothing!" And Nick,
touched to gratitude, passed his arm into his visitor's.

Peter had a pause. "Why do you call me magnanimous?"

"Oh bless my soul, it's hers--I forgot!" laughed Nick, failing in his
turn to answer the other's inquiry. "But you shall have another."

"Another? Are you going to do another?"

"This very morning. That is, I shall begin it. I've heard from her;
she's coming to sit--a short time hence."

Peter turned away a little at this, releasing himself, and, as if the
movement had been an effect of his host's words, looked at his watch
earnestly to dissipate that appearance. He fell back to consider the
work from further off. "The more you do her the better--she has all the
qualities of a great model. From that point of view it's a pity she has
another trade: she might make so good a thing of this one. But how
shall you do her again?" he asked ingenuously.

"Oh I can scarcely say; we'll arrange something; we'll talk it over.
It's extraordinary how well she enters into what one wants: she knows
more than one does one's self. She isn't, as you Frenchmen say, the
first comer. However, you know all about that, since you invented her,
didn't you? That's what she says; she's awfully sweet on you," Nick
kindly pursued. "What I ought to do is to try something as different as
possible from that thing; not the sibyl, the muse, the tremendous
creature, but the charming woman, the person one knows, differently
arranged as she appears _en ville_, she calls it. I'll do something
really serious and send it to you out there with my respects. It will
remind you of home and perhaps a little even of me. If she knows it's
for you she'll throw herself into it in the right spirit. Leave it to
us, my dear fellow; we'll turn out something splendid."

"It's jolly to hear you, but I shall send you a cheque," said Peter very
stoutly.

"I suppose it's all right in your position, but you're too proud," his
kinsman answered.

"What do you mean by my position?"

"Your exaltation, your high connexion with the country, your treating
with sovereign powers as the representative of a sovereign power. Isn'