whistle.

PASCOE. Yes; it must have been odd, that must.

CARVE. Not a bit. The oddness of the fellow----

PASCOE. What 'fellow'--your governor?

CARVE. (Nods.) His oddness came out in this way--although the thing
had really a great success, from that day to this he's never painted
another life-size picture of a policeman blowing his whistle.

PASCOE. I don't see anything very odd there----

CARVE. Don't you? Well, perhaps you don't go in for art much. If you
did, you'd know that the usual and correct thing for a painter who has
made a great success with a life-size picture of a policeman blowing his
whistle, is to keep on doing life-size pictures of a policeman blowing
his whistle for ever and ever, so that the public can always count on
getting from him a life-size picture of a policeman blowing his whistle.

PASCOE. I observe you are one of those comic valets. Nervousness again,
no doubt.

CARVE. (Smiling and continuing.) Seeing the way he invariably flouted
the public, it's always been a mystery to me how he managed to make a
name, to say nothing of money.

PASCOE. Money! He must make pots. You say I don't go in for art much,
but I always read the big sales at Christie's. Why, wasn't it that
policeman picture that Lord Leonard Alcar bought for 2000 guineas last
year?

CARVE. No, not Alcar. I think the bobby was last bought by Texel.

PASCOE. Texel? Who's Texel?

CARVE. Collector--United States--one of their kings, I'm told.

PASCOE. Oh, him! Controls all the ink in the United States.

CARVE. Really! That's what I should call influence. No. It was the
"Pelicans feeding their Young" that Alcar bought. Four thousand. You're
getting mixed up.

PASCOE. Perhaps I am. I know I'm constantly seeing Mr. Carve's name in
connection with Lord Leonard Alcar's. It's a nice question which is the
best known of the two.

CARVE. Then the--governor really is famous in England? You see we never
come to England.

PASCOE. Famous--I should think he was. Aren't they always saying he's
the finest colourist since Titian? And look at his prices!

CARVE. Yes. I've looked at his prices. Titian's prices are higher, but
Titian isn't what you'd call famous with the general public, is he?
What I want to know is--is the governor famous among the general
public?

PASCOE. Yes.

CARVE. About how famous should you say he is?

PASCOE. (Hesitating.) Well--(abruptly) that's a silly question.

CARVE. No, it isn't. Is he as famous