e of art was suddenly
aroused in his soul--a strong conviction as to his duty toward Jansen
and his own future; and it seemed to him so humiliating to have to
confide to his friends the reasons which induced him to run away from
school again so soon, that he hastily struck into the nearest way to
the studio, as if he felt that there was the place where he would be
safest from all vexations and temptations.

Besides, he had a whole day left in which to take serious counsel with
himself, to look at the matter from all sides, and to decide what it
was best to do.

As he entered the court he saw a carriage standing at the door of the
rear house. Although he knew it could not be hers, it gave him a sharp
start, and he beckoned to the janitor and asked him who had come to
call. "A lady, neither young nor old, with two gentlemen; and they
spoke French." It was evidently a matter of no interest to him, and so,
without devoting another thought to it, he opened the door of Jansen's
studio and went in.

The visitors were standing directly before the Adam and Eve, with their
backs to the door, and did not hear him enter. Jansen gave him a nod of
welcome, and old Homo rose slowly from his tiger-skin to rub his gray
head against Felix's hand. For a moment, therefore, he could examine
the three visitors at his leisure. In the youth with the curly black
hair he immediately recognized the young Greek he had met in
"Paradise." He was pointing to different parts of the work with
animated gestures, and seemed to be expressing to the lady his
enthusiastic admiration. The latter, holding an eye-glass close to her
eyes, stood silent and motionless before the group, to all appearances
completely carried away by it. She was dressed with simple elegance,
was rather _petite_ than tall, and her face, seen as Felix saw it, in
very slight profile, was not exactly youthful or of special beauty, but
was striking because of the whiteness of the skin and a certain
expression of force and intelligence in the slightly-parted lips.

The Slavic type could be recognized at the first glance, even before
she opened her lips, and expressed her admiration to Jansen with that
soft modulation which is so peculiar to the Poles and Russians.

The gentleman on her left took advantage of the first pause to put in
his word. He was a lean, elderly, carelessly-dressed man, who
continually swayed his long body to and fro while speaking, and raised
his eyebrows with