ago?"

He did not look at her as he spoke, but kept on diligently smoothing
and kneading the soft clay.

She made as though she had not heard his question, and turned on her
heel, wrapping her thick hair about her like a cloak, and went over to
a corner of the studio, where a great black Newfoundland dog, with a
white breast, was lying on a straw mat with his head between his fore
paws, and growling lightly in his sleep. The girl bent down to him and
began to scratch his head softly--of which he took no other notice than
an instant's opening of his eyes, dim with old age.

"He isn't very gallant," said the girl, laughing. "One of my girl
friends has a little terrier, and when I stroke him he is perfectly
wild with joy, and I have to look out that he doesn't lick my face and
neck and hands all over with his little pink tongue. But this fellow is
as reverend as a grandfather. What is his name?"

"Homo."

"Homo? What a queer name! What does it mean?"

"It is Latin, and means 'man.' Years ago the old boy showed so much
human reason, just as his master seemed on the point of losing his
head, that it was decided to rechristen him. Since then he has never
brought shame upon his name. So you see, child, in what good company
you are. If I am hardly as old as a grandfather yet, I am almost old
enough to be your father. And I thought these two sittings would have
convinced you that you were perfectly safe with me--that I shall
faithfully keep what I promised you. And that is the reason--"

"No, no, no, no!" cried she, jumping suddenly up and whirling around,
and shaking her head so violently that her hair flew about her like a
wheel of fire. "What makes you speak of that again, Herr Jansen? You
take me for a silly, thoughtless kind of girl, no doubt--and think that
in time I shan't be able to refuse you anything. But you are very much
mistaken. It is true, I don't mind doing some foolish things; and
standing about for you here like this doesn't seem to me anything wrong
or disgraceful. Why, at a ball last winter where we had made up the
flowers, and so they let us look in through the dressing-room, the fine
ladies appeared before gentlemen in a very different way from the way I
am standing and walking about here; and there were a great many
officers there--not even artists, like you, that only look artistically
at a bare neck and shoulders. But, if I will do _that_ for you, you
mustn't ask anything more. It is true, my fri