he must have thought
her a good model, or he would not have continued to send for her.

"Do you think me pretty?" she had asked one day, saucily invading one of
his yawning silences.

"I think you're pretty good," he replied, "as a model. You'd be quite
perfect if you were also deaf and dumb."

That had been nearly a year ago. She thought of it now, a slight heat
in her cheeks as she remembered the snub, and her almost childish
amazement, and the hurt and offended silence which lasted all that
morning, but which, if he noticed at all, was doubtless entirely
gratifying to him.

"May I rest?"

"If it's necessary."

She sprang lightly to the floor walked around behind him, and stood
looking at his work.

"Do you want to know my opinion?" she asked.

"Yes," he said, with unexpected urbanity; "if you are clever enough to
have an opinion. What is it?"

She said, looking at the wax figure of herself and speaking with
deliberation:

"In the last hour you have made out of a rather commonplace study an
entirely spontaneous and charming creation."

"What!" he exclaimed, his face reddening with pleasure at her opinion,
and with surprise at her mode of expressing it.

"It's quite true. That dancing figure is wholly charming. It is no
study; it is pure creation."

He knew it; was a little thrilled that she, representing to him an
average and mediocre public, should recognize it so intelligently.

"As though," she continued, "you had laid aside childish things."

"What?" he asked, surprised again at the authority of the expression.

"Academic precision and the respectable excellencies of-the-usual;--you
have put away childish things and become a man."

"Where did you hear that?" he said bluntly.

"I heard it when I said it. You know, Mr. Drene, I am not wholly
uneducated, although your amiable question insinuates as much."

"I'm not unamiable. Only I didn't suppose--"

"Oh, you never have supposed anything concerning me. So why are you
surprised when I express myself with fragmentary intelligence?"

"I'm sorry--"

"Listen to me. I'm not afraid of you any more. I've been afraid for two
years. Now, I'm not. Your study is masterly. I know it. You know it. You
didn't know I knew it; you didn't know I knew anything. And you didn't
care."

She sat down on the sofa, facing him with a breathless smile.

"You don't care what I think, what I am, what interests I may have, what
intellect, what of human desire, ho