’Goanddesigndecorativemedallionsforrichbrewers’houses。
Youarethoroughlygoodatthat。’Dickwassickandsavage。
’Betterthingsthanmedallions，Dick，’wastheanswer，intonesthatrecalledagray-eyedatom’sfearlessspeechtoMrsJennettDickwouldhaveabasedhimselfutterly，butthatothergirltrailedin。
NextSundayhelaidatMaisie’sfeetsmallgiftsofpencilsthatcouldalmostdrawofthemselvesandcoloursinwhosepermanencehebelieved，andhewasostentatiouslyattentivetotheworkinhandItdemanded，amongotherthings，anexpositionofthefaiththatwasinhim。
Torpenhow’shairwouldhavestoodonendhadheheardthefluencywithwhichDickpreachedhisowngospelofArt。
Amonthbefore，Dickwouldhavebeenequallyastonished；butitwasMaisie’swillandpleasure，andhedraggedhiswordstogethertomakeplaintohercomprehensionallthathadbeenhiddentohimselfofthewhysandwhereforesofworkThereisnottheleastdifficultyindoingathingifyouonlyknowhowtodoit；thetroubleistoexplainyourmethod。
’IcouldputthisrightifIhadabrushinmyhand，’saidDick，despairingly，overthemodellingofachinthatMaisiecomplainedwouldnot’lookflesh，’——itwasthesamechinthatshehadscrapedoutwiththepaletteknife，——’butIfinditalmostimpossibletoteachyouThere’saqueergrin，DutchtouchaboutyourpaintingthatIlike；butI’veanotionthatyou’reweakindrawingYouforeshortenasthoughyouneverusedthemodel，andyou’vecaughtKami’spastywayofdealingwithfleshinshadowThen，again，thoughyoudon’tknowityourself，youshirkhardworkSupposeyouspendsomeofyourtimeonlineloneLinedoesn’tallowofshirkingOilsdo，andthreesquareinchesofflashy，trickystuffinthecornerofapicsometimescarryabadthingoff，——asIknow。
That’simmoralDoline-workforalittlewhile，andthenIcantellmoreaboutyourpowers，asoldKamiusedtosay。’
Maisieprotested；shedidnotcareforthepureline。
’Iknow，’saidDick’Youwanttodoyourfancyheadswithabunchofflowersatthebaseofthenecktohidebadmodelling。’Thered-hairedgirllaughedalittle’Youwanttodolandscapeswithcattleknee-deepingrasstohidebaddrawingYouwanttodoagreatdealmorethanyoucandoYouhavesenseofcolour，butyouwantformColour’sagift，——putitasideandthinknomoreaboutit，——butformyoucanbedrilledinto。
Now，allyourfancyheads——andsomeofthemareverygood——willkeepyouexactlywhereyouareWithlineyoumustgoforwardorbackward，anditwillshowupallyourweaknesses。’
’Butotherpeople——’beganMaisie。
’Youmustn’tmindwhatotherpeopledoIftheirsoulswereyoursoul，itwouldbedifferentYoustandandfallbyyourownwork，remember，andit’swasteoftimetothinkofanyoneelseinthisbattle。’
Dickpaused，andthelongingthathadbeensoresolutelyputawaycamebackintohiseyesHelookedatMaisie，andthelookaskedasplainlyaswords，WasitnottimetoleaveallthisbarrenwildernessofcanvasandcounselandjoinhandswithLifeandLove？
MaisieassentedtothenewprogrammeofschoolingsoadorablythatDickcouldhardlyrestrainhimselffrompickingherupthenandthereandcarryingherofftothenearestregistrar’sofficeItwastheimplicitobediencetothespokenwordandtheblankindifferencetotheunspokendesirethatbaffledandbuffetedhissoulHeheldauthorityinthathouse，——authoritylimited，indeed，toone-halfofoneafternooninseven，butveryrealwhileitlastedMaisiehadlearnedtoappealtohimonmanysubjects，fromtheproperpackingofpicturestotheconditionofasmokychimneyThered-hairedgirlneverconsultedhimaboutanything。
Ontheotherhand，sheacceptedhisappearanceswithoutprotest，andwatchedhimalwaysHediscoveredthatthemealsoftheestablishmentwereirregularandfragmentaryTheydependedchieflyontea，pickles，andbiscuit，ashehadsuspectedfromthebeginningThegirlsweresupposedtomarketweekandweekabout，buttheylived，withthehelpofacharwoman，ascasuallyastheyoungravensMaisiespentmostofherincomeonmodels，andtheothergirlrevelledinapparatusasrefinedasherworkwasroughArmedwithknowledge，dear-boughtfromtheDocks，DickwarnedMaisiethattheendofsemi-starvationmeantthecripplingofpowertowork，whichwasconsiderablyworsethandeath。
Maisietookthewarning，andgavemorethoughttowhatsheateanddrankWhenhistroublereturneduponhim，asitgenerallydidinthelongwintertwilights，theremembranceofthatlittleactofdomesticauthorityandhiscoercionwithahearth-brushofthesmokydrawing-roomchimneystungDicklikeawhip-lash。
Heconceivedthatthismemorywouldbetheextremeofhissufferings，tilloneSunday，thered-hairedgirlannouncedthatshewouldmakeastudyofDick’shead，andthathewouldbegoodenoughtositstill，and——quiteasanafterthought——lookatMaisieHesat，becausehecouldnotwellrefuse，andforthespaceofhalfanhourhereflectedonallthepeopleinthepastwhomhehadlaidopenforthepurposesofhisowncraftHerememberedBinatmostdistinctly，——thatBinatwhohadoncebeenanartistandtalkedaboutdegradation。
Itwasthemerestmonochromeroughinginofahead，butitpresentedthedumbwaiting，thelonging，and，aboveall，thehopelessenslavementoftheman，inaspiritofbittermockery。
’I’llbuyit，’saidDick，promptly，’atyourownprice。’
’Mypriceistoohigh，butIdaresayyou’llbeasgratefulif——’Thewetsketch，flutteredfromthegirl’shandandfellintotheashesofthestudiostoveWhenshepickeditupitwashopelesslysmudged。
’Oh，it’sallspoiled！’saidMaisie’AndIneversawitWasitlike？’
’Thankyou，’saidDickunderhisbreathtothered-hairedgirl，andheremovedhimselfswiftly。
’Howthatmanhatesme！’saidthegirl’Andhowhelovesyou，Maisie！’
’Whatnonsense？IknewDick’sveryfondofme，buthehadhisworktodo，andIhavemine。’
’Yes，heisfondofyou，andIthinkheknowsthereissomethinginimpressionism，afterallMaisie，can’tyousee？’
’See？Seewhat？’
’Nothing；only，IknowthatifIcouldgetanymantolookatmeasthatmanlooksatyou，I’d——Idon’tknowwhatI’ddoButhehatesme。
Oh，howhehatesme！’
ShewasnotaltogethercorrectDick’shatredwastemperedwithgratitudeforafewmoments，andthenheforgotthegirlentirely。
Onlythesenseofshameremained，andhewasnursingitacrosstheParkinthefog’There’llbeanexplosiononeofthesedays，’hesaidwrathfully。
’Butitisn’tMaisie’sfault；she’sright，quiteright，asfarassheknows，andI
can’tblameherThisbusinesshasbeengoingonforthreemonthsnearly。
Threemonths！——anditcostmetenyears’knockingabouttogetatthenotion，themerestrawnotion，ofmyworkThat’strue；butthenI
didn’thavepins，drawing-pins，andpalette-knives，stuckintomeeverySunday。
Oh，mylittledarling，ifeverIbreakyou，somebodywillhaveaverybadtimeofitNo，shewon’tI’dbeasbigafoolaboutherasIamnow。
I’llpoisonthatred-hairedgirlonmywedding-day，——she’sunwholesome，——andnowI’llpassonthesepresentbadtimestoTorp。’
TorpenhowhadbeenmovedtolectureDickmorethanoncelatelyonthesinoflevity，andDickandlistenedandrepliednotawordIntheweeksbetweenthefirstfewSundaysofhisdisciplinehehadflunghimselfsavagelyintohiswork，resolvedthatMaisieshouldatleastknowthefullstretchofhispowersThenhehadtaughtMaisiethatshemustnotpaytheleastattentiontoanyworkoutsideherown，andMaisiehadobeyedhimalltoowellShetookhiscounsels，butwasnotinterestedinhispictures。
’Yourthingssmelloftobaccoandblood，’shesaidonce’Can’tyoudoanythingexceptsoldiers？’
’Icoulddoaheadofyouthatwouldstartleyou，’thoughtDick，——thiswasbeforethered-hairedgirlhadbroughthimundertheguillotine，——butheonlysaid，’Iamverysorry，’andharrowedTorpenhow’ssoulthateveningwithblasphemiesagainstArtLater，insensiblyandtoalargeextentagainsthisownwill，heceasedtointeresthimselfinhisownwork。
ForMaisie’ssake，andtosoothetheself-respectthatitseemedtohimhelosteachSunday，hewouldnotconsciouslyturnoutbadstuff，but，sinceMaisiedidnotcareevenforhisbest，itwerebetternottodoanythingatallsavewaitandmarktimebetweenSundayandSunday。
Torpenhowwasdisgustedastheweekswentbyfruitless，andthenattackedhimoneSundayeveningwhenDickfeltutterlyexhaustedafterthreehours’
bitingself-restraintinMaisie’spresenceTherewasLanguage，andTorpenhowwithdrewtoconsulttheNilghai，whohadcomeittotalkcontinentalpolitics。
’Bone-idle，ishe？Careless，andtouchedinthetemper？’saidtheNilghai。
’Itisn’tworthworryingoverDickisprobablyplayingthefoolwithawoman。’
’Isn’tthatbadenough？’
’NoShemaythrowhimoutofgearandknockhisworktopiecesforawhileShemayeventurnupheresomedayandmakeasceneonthestaircase：oneneverknowsButuntilDickspeaksofhisownaccordyouhadbetternottouchhimHeisnoeasy-temperedmantohandle。’
’No；IwishhewereHeissuchanaggressive，cocksure，you-be-damnedfellow。’
’He’llgetthatknockedoutofhimintimeHemustlearnthathecan’tstormupanddowntheworldwithaboxofmoisttubesandaslickbrush。
You’refondofhim？’
’I’dtakeanypunishmentthat’sinstoreforhimifIcould；buttheworstofitis，nomancansavehisbrother。’
’No，andtheworserofitis，thereisnodischargeinthiswarDickmustlearnhislessonliketherestofusTalkingofwar，there’llbetroubleintheBalkansinthespring。’
’ThattroubleislongcomingIwonderifwecoulddragDickouttherewhenitcomesoff？’
Dickenteredtheroomsoonafterwards，andthequestionwasputtohim。
’Notgoodenough，’hesaidshortly’I’mtoocomf’ywhereIam。’
’Surelyyouaren’ttakingallthestuffinthepapersseriously？’saidtheNilghai’Yourvoguewillbeendedinlessthansixmonths，——thepublicwillknowyourtouchandgoontosomethingnew，——andwherewillyoubethen？’
’Here，inEngland。’
’Whenyoumightbedoingdecentworkamongusoutthere？
Nonsense！I
shallgo，theKeneuwillbethere，Torpwillbethere，Cassavettiwillbethere，andthewholelotofuswillbethere，andweshallhaveasmuchaseverwecando，withunlimitedfightingandthechanceforyouofseeingthingsthatwouldmakethereputationofthreeVerestchagins。’
’Um！’saidDick，pullingathispipe。
’Youprefertostayhereandimaginethatalltheworldisgapingatyourpictures？Justthinkhowfullanaverageman’slifeisofhisownpursuitsandpleasuresWhentwentythousandofhimfindtimetolookupbetweenmouthfulsandgruntsomethingaboutsomethingtheyaren’ttheleastinterestedin，thenetresultiscalledfame，reputation，ornotoriety，accordingtothetasteandfancyofthespellermylord。’
’IknowthataswellasyoudoGivemecreditforalittlegumption。’
’BehangedifIdo！’
’Behanged，then；youprobablywillbe，——foraspy，byexcitedTurks。
Heigh-ho！I’mweary，deadweary，andvirtuehasgoneoutofme。’
Dickdroppedintoachair，andwasfastasleepinaminute。
’That’sabadsign，’saidtheNilghai，inanundertone。
Torpenhowpickedthepipefromthewaistcoatwhereitwasbeginningtoburn，andputapillowbehindthehead’Wecan’thelp；wecan’thelp，’hesaid’It’sagooduglysortofoldcocoanut，andI’mfondofit。
There’sthescarofthewipehegotwhenhewascutoverinthesquare。’
’Shouldn’twonderifthathasmadehimatriflemad。’
’IshouldHe’samostbusinesslikemadman。’
ThenDickbegantosnorefuriously。
’Oh，here，noaffectioncanstandthissortofthingWakeup，Dick，andgoandsleepsomewhereelse，ifyouintendtomakeanoiseaboutit。’
’Whenacathasbeenoutonthetilesallnight，’saidtheNilghai，inhisbeard，’InoticethatsheusuallysleepsalldayThisisnaturalhistory。’
DickstaggeredawayrubbinghiseyesandyawningInthenight-watcheshewasovertakenwithanidea，sosimpleandsoluminousthathewonderedhehadneverconceiveditbeforeItwasfullofcraftHewouldseekMaisieonaweek-day，——wouldsuggestanexcursion，andwouldtakeherbytraintoFortKeeling，overtheverygroundthattheytwohadtroddentogethertenyearsago。
’Asageneralrule，’heexplainedtohischin-latheredreflectioninthemorning，’itisn’tsafetocrossanoldtrailtwiceThingsremindoneofthings，andacoldwindgetsup，andyoufeelsaid；butthisisanexceptiontoeveryrulethateverwasI’llgotoMaisieatonce。’