hat first visit. She had always put me off
with the evasive answer that "a friend" had given her my address, but at
last she confided to me that there was no friend in the case.

"We were walking down Sloane Street," she said, "Amy Stewart and I, when
we saw your board up with 'The Studio, Cadogan Gardens' on it. Your dog
was at the gate wagging his tail, and seemed like asking us in. I
patted him, and said to Amy, 'Let's go in for a lark and say we are
models.' And she said, 'Yes; you go first.' So we rang the bell and
asked for the artist. You said you were busy and hadn't much time to
look at us, and you didn't seem to want us--so we stopped." Her father,
I then found out, was a well-to-do builder, much absorbed in his
business. No, she said, in answer to my question, he was not aware that
she was sitting; her mother was, but had never asked for particulars.
Let well alone, I thought, anxious as I was not to lose my model. But
not long afterwards I was much startled by Laura's announcement that the
sittings must henceforth be given up. She was very sorry, but she was
forbidden to come any more.

"What has happened?" I asked in dismay; "your father? your mother?" "Oh
no." "Well, do have it out; nobody else surely has a right to
interfere." "Well, yes," she said; "Father O'Brien has." I saw it all;
she was a good Roman Catholic, and her father confessor had become
alarmed, and had put in his veto. "Is that all?" I broke in, much
relieved. "Well, Laura, you did startle me--thank goodness, it is only a
priest; he of all people couldn't have meant it seriously. He wouldn't
be so ungrateful after all we artists have done for the Church. Think of
the old masters, Laura; you must go to Father O'Brien and remind him of
Raphael and all the saints and Madonnas he painted. Why, to be sure, he
must know that even the divine Raphael could not have given us their
souls without their bodies, and that even he would never have draped
his models till he had made a careful study of those respected bodies.
Oh no, there is nothing to be feared from a good priest; you must go at
once, Laura, and speak to him."

Whether she went or not, and whether, having duly weighed my argument,
Father O'Brien was struck with remorse, I do not know, but certain it is
that Laura came, sat, and helped me conquer the difficulties yet to be
grappled with in two pictures I had begun from her.

* * * * *

I was travelling fr