ge
seriously, and cannot understand that it is harmless fun. However, he is
better in that respect than when he first came over, and in time, no
doubt, his touchiness will die out. God forbid that he should ever spoil
his life by such a hideous mistake as marrying Minette. Except on the
principle that people are always attracted by their opposites, I can't
account for his infatuation for this girl, or for her taking up with
him. He has never alluded to the subject to me. I don't know that her
name has ever been mentioned between us. I agree with you that I think
he is in earnest about her, but my conclusion is certainly not formed on
anything he has ever said himself. I have often thought that a good deal
of his irritability arises from his annoyance at her fun and easy way
with us all. He never comes to any of our little meetings. If he is
really in earnest about her, I can understand that it would be a
terrible annoyance to him to see her taking a lead in such meetings and
associating so freely with your, let us say, temporary wives. I have
seen him on some of our sketching excursions walk away, unable to
contain his anger when you have all been laughing and joking with her."

"I consider that to be an insolence," Rene said hotly.

"No, no, Rene, imagine yourself five years older, and making a fortune
rapidly by your art, in love with some girl whom you hope to make your
wife. I ask you whether you would like to see her laughing and chatting
_en bonne camarade_ with a lot of wild young students. Still less, if
you can imagine such a thing, joining heart and soul in the fun of one
of their supper parties. You would not like it, would you?"

"No," Rene admitted frankly. "I own I shouldn't. Of course, I cannot
even fancy such a thing occurring, but if it did I can answer for it
that I should not be able to keep my temper. I think now that you put it
so, we shall be able to make more allowances for the American in
future."

To this the others all agreed, and henceforth the tension that had not
unfrequently existed between Dampierre and his fellow-students was
sensibly relaxed.

"You were not here last week, Minette," M. Goude said, as he went up on
to the platform at the end of the room to arrange her pose.

"I did not think that you would expect me, master," she said, "but even
if you had I could not have come. Do you think that one could stand
still like a statue for hours when great things were being done, when