"I think I had better tell you that--that this
is--the first time."

"The first time!"

"Yes.... I ought to have told you. I was afraid you might not want me."

"Lord above!" he breathed. "You poor--poor little thing!"

She began to cry silently; he saw the drops fall shining on the white
wool robe, and leaned one elbow on the ladder, watching them. After a
while they ceased, but she still held her head low, and her face was
bent in the warm shadow of her hair.

"How could I understand?" he asked very gently.

"I--should have told you. I was afraid."

He said: "I'm terribly sorry. It must have been perfect torture for you
to undress--to come into the studio. If you'd only given me an idea of
how matters stood I could have made it a little easier. I'm afraid I was
brusque--taking it for granted that you were a model and knew your
business.... I'm terribly sorry."

She lifted her head, looked at him, with the tears still clinging to her
lashes.

"You have been very nice to me. It is all my own fault."

He smiled. "Then it's all right, now that we understand. Isn't it?"

"Yes."

"You make a stunning model," he said frankly.

"Do I? Then you will let me come again?"

"_Let_ you!" He laughed; "I'll be more likely to beg you."

"Oh, you won't have to," she said; "I'll come as long as you want me."

"That is simply angelic of you. Tell me, do you wish to descend to terra
firma?"

She glanced below, doubtfully:

"N-no, thank you. If I could only stretch my--legs--"

"Stretch away," he said, much amused, "but don't tumble off and break
into pieces. I like you better as you are than as an antique and
limbless Venus."

She cautiously and daintily extended first one leg then the other under
the wool robe, then eased the cramped muscles of her back, straightening
her body and flexing her arms with a little sigh of relief. As her shy
sidelong gaze reverted to him she saw to her relief that he was not
noticing her. A slight sense of warmth, suffused her body, and she
stretched herself again, more confidently, and ventured to glance
around.

"Speaking of terms," he said in an absent way, apparently preoccupied
with the palette which he was carefully scraping, "do you happen to know
what is the usual recompense for a model's service?"

She said that she had heard, and added with quick diffidence that she
could not expect so much, being only a beginner.

He polished the surface of the palette with a handful