’Binks，isthatatruebill？’saidTorpenhow，severelyThelittledogretreatedunderthesofacushion，andshowedbythefatwhitebackofhimthathereallyhadnofurtherinterestinthediscussion。
’Strikesmethatanotherdisreputabledogwentforawalk，too，’saidtheNilghai’Whatmadeyougetupsoearly？Torpsaidyoumightbebuyingahorse。’
’Heknowsitwouldneedthreeofusforaseriousbusinesslikethat。
No，I
feltlonesomeandunhappy，soIwentouttolookatthesea，andwatchtheprettyshipsgoby。’
’Wheredidyougo？’
’SomewhereontheChannelProglyorSnigly，orsomewatering-placewasitsname；I’veforgotten；butitwasonlytwohours’runfromLondonandtheshipswentby。’
’Didyouseeanythingyouknew？’
’OnlytheBarralongoutwardstoAustralia，andanOdessagrain-boatloadeddownbytheheadItwasathickday，buttheseasmeltgood。’
’Whereforeputonone’sbesttrouserstoseetheBarralong？’saidTorpenhow，pointing。
’BecauseI’venothingexceptthesethingsandmypaintingduds。
Besides，Iwantedtodohonourtothesea。’
’DidShemakeyoufeelrestless？’askedtheNilghai，keenly。
’CrazyDon’tspeakofitI’msorryIwent。’
TorpenhowandtheNilghaiexchangedalookasDick，stooping，busiedhimselfamongtheformer’sbootsandtrees。
’Thesewilldo，’hesaidatlast；’Ican’tsayIthinkmuchofyourtasteinslippers，butthefit’sthething。’Heslippedhisfeetintoapairofsock-likesambhur-skinfootcoverings，foundalongchair，andlayatlength。
’They’remyownpetpair，’Torpenhowsaid’Iwasjustgoingtoputthemonmyself。’
’AllyourreprehensibleselfishnessJustbecauseyouseemehappyforaminute，youwanttoworrymeandstirmeupFindanotherpair。’
’GoodforyouthatDickcan’twearyourclothes，TorpYoutwolivecommunistically，’saidtheNilghai。
’DickneverhasanythingthatIcanwearHe’sonlyusefultospongeupon。’
’Confoundyou，haveyoubeenrummagingroundamongmyclothes，then？’saidDick’Iputasovereigninthetobacco-jaryesterday。
Howdoyouexpectamantokeephisaccountsproperlyifyou——’
HeretheNilghaibegantolaugh，andTorpenhowjoinedhim。
’Hidasovereignyesterday！You’renosortoffinancierYoulentmeafiveraboutamonthbackDoyouremember？’Torpenhowsaid。
’Yes，ofcourse。’
’DoyourememberthatIpaidityoutendayslater，andyouputitatthebottomofthetobacco？’
’ByJove，didI？Ithoughtitwasinoneofmycolour-boxes。’
’Youthought！AboutaweekagoIwentintoyourstudiotogetsome’baccyandfoundit。’
’Whatdidyoudowithit？’
’TooktheNilghaitoatheatreandfedhim。’
’Youcouldn’tfeedtheNilghaiundertwicethemoney——notthoughyougavehimArmybeefWell，IsupposeIshouldhavefounditoutsoonerorlaterWhatistheretolaughat？’
’You’reamostamazingcuckooinmanydirections，’saidtheNilghai，stillchucklingoverthethoughtofthedinner’NevermindWehadbothbeenworkingveryhard，anditwasyourunearnedincrementwespent，andasyou’reonlyaloaferitdidn’tmatter。’
’That’spleasant——fromthemanwhoisburstingwithmymeat，too。
I’llgetthatdinnerbackoneofthesedaysSupposewegotoatheatrenow。’
’Putourbootson，——anddress，——andwash？’TheNilghaispokeverylazily。
’Iwithdrawthemotion。’
’Suppose，justforachange——asastartlingvariety，youknow——we，thatistosaywe，getourcharcoalandourcanvasandgoonwithourwork。’
Torpenhowspokepointedly，butDickonlywriggledhistoesinsidethesoftleathermoccasins。
’Whataone-ideaedcluckerthatis！IfIhadanyunfinishedfiguresonhand，Ihaven’tanymodel；ifIhadmymodel，Ihaven’tanyspray，andI
neverleavecharcoalunfixedovernight；andifIhadmysprayandtwentyphotographsofbackgrounds，Icouldn’tdoanythingto-nightI
don’tfeelthatway。’
’Binkie-dog，he’salazyhog，isn’the？’saidtheNilghai。
’Verygood，Iwilldosomework，’saidDick，risingswiftly’I’llfetchtheNungapungaBook，andwe’lladdanotherpicturetotheNilghaiSaga。’
’Aren’tyouworryinghimalittletoomuch？’askedtheNilghai，whenDickhadlefttheroom。
’Perhaps，butIknowwhathecanturnoutifhelikesItmakesmesavagetohearhimpraisedforpastworkwhenIknowwhatheoughttodoYouandIarearrangedfor——’
’ByKismetandourownpowers，more’sthepityIhavedreamedofagooddeal。’
’SohaveI，butweknowourlimitationsnowI’mdashedifIknowwhatDick’smaybewhenhegiveshimselftohisworkThat’swhatmakesmesokeenabouthim。’
’Andwhenall’ssaidanddone，youwillbeputaside——quiterightly——forafemalegirl。’
’IwonderWheredoyouthinkhehasbeento-day？’
’TotheseaDidn’tyouseethelookinhiseyeswhenhetalkedabouther？
He’sasrestlessasaswallowinautumn。’
’Yes；butdidhegoalone？’
’Idon’tknow，andIdon’tcare，buthehasthebeginningsofthego-feveruponhimHewantstoup-stakesandmoveoutThere’snomistakingthesignsWhateverhemayhavesaidbefore，hehasthecalluponhimnow。’
’Itmightbehissalvation，’Torpenhowsaid。
’Perhaps——ifyoucaretotaketheresponsibilityofbeingasaviour。’
Dickreturnedwiththebigclaspedsketch-bookthattheNilghaiknewwellanddidnotlovetoomuchInitDickhaddrawnallmannerofmovingincidents，experiencedbyhimselforrelatedtohimbytheothers，ofallthefourcornersoftheearthButthewiderrangeoftheNilghai’sbodyandlifeattractedhimmostWhentruthfailedhefellbackonfictionofthewildest，andrepresentedincidentsintheNilghai’scareerthatwereunseemly，——hismarriageswithmanyAfricanprincesses，hisshamelessbetrayal，forArabwives，ofanarmycorpstotheMahdi，histattoomentbyskilledoperatorsinBurmah，hisinterviewandhisfears
withtheyellowheadsmanintheblood-stainedexecution-groundofCanton，andfinally，thepassingsofhisspiritintothebodiesofwhales，elephants，andtoucansTorpenhowfromtimetotimehadaddedrhymeddescriptions，andthewholewasacuriouspieceofart，becauseDickdecided，havingregardtothenameofthebookwhichbeinginterpretedmeans’naked，’thatitwouldbewrongtodrawtheNilghaiwithanyclotheson，underanycircumstancesConsequentlythelastsketch，representingthatmuch-enduringmancallingontheWarOfficetopresshisclaimstotheEgyptianmedal，washardlydelicateHesettledhimselfcomfortablyonTorpenhow’stableandturnedoverthepages。
’WhatafortuneyouwouldhavebeentoBlake，Nilghai！’hesaid。
’There’sasucculentpinknessaboutsomeofthesesketchesthat’smorethanlife-like“TheNilghaisurroundedwhilebathingbytheMahdieh“——thatwasfoundedonfact，eh？’
’Itwasverynearlymylastbath，youirreverentdauberHasBinkiecomeintotheSagayet？’
’No；theBinkie-boyhasn’tdoneanythingexcepteatandkillcats。
Let’sseeHereyouareasastained-glasssaintinachurchDeuceddecorativelinesaboutyouranatomy；yououghttobegratefulforbeinghandeddowntoposterityinthiswayFiftyyearshenceyou’llexistinrareandcuriousfacsimilesattenguineaseachWhatshallItrythistime？
ThedomesticlifeoftheNilghai？’
’Hasn’tgotany。’
’TheundomesticlifeoftheNilghai，thenOfcourseMass-meetingofhiswivesinTrafalgarSquareThat’sitTheycamefromtheendsoftheearthtoattendNilghai’sweddingtoanEnglishbrideThisshallbeanepicIt’sasweetmaterialtoworkwith。’
’It’sascandalouswasteoftime，’saidTorpenhow。
’Don’tworry；itkeepsone’shandin——speciallywhenyoubeginwithoutthepencil。’Hesettoworkrapidly’That’sNelson’sColumn。
PresentlytheNilghaiwillappearshinningupit。’
’Givehimsomeclothesthistime。’
’Certainly——aveilandanorange-wreath，becausehe’sbeenmarried。’
’Gad，that’scleverenough！’saidTorpenhowoverhisshoulder，asDickbroughtoutofthepaperwiththreetwirlsofthebrushaveryfatbackandlabouringshoulderpressedagainststone。
’Justimagine，’Dickcontinued，’ifwecouldpublishafewofthesedearlittlethingseverytimetheNilghaisubsidisesamanwhocanwrite，togivethepublicanhonestopinionofmypictures。’
’Well，you’lladmitIalwaystellyouwhenIhavedoneanythingofthatkindIknowIcan’thammeryouasyououghttobehammered，soI
givethejobtoanotherYoungMaclagan，forinstance——’
’No-o——onehalf-minute，oldman；stickyourhandoutagainstthedarkofthewall-paper——youonlyburbleandcallmenamesThatleftshoulder’soutofdrawingImustliterallythrowaveiloverthatWhere’smypen-knife？Well，whataboutMaclagan？’
’Ionlygavehimhisriding-ordersto——tolambastyouongeneralprinciplesfornotproducingworkthatwilllast。’
’Whereuponthatyoungfool，’——Dickthrewbackhisheadandshutoneeyeasheshiftedthepageunderhishand，——’beingleftalonewithanink-potandwhatheconceivedwerehisownnotions，wentandspiltthembothovermeinthepapersYoumighthaveengagedagrownmanforthebusiness，NilghaiHowdoyouthinkthebridalveillooksnow，Torp？’
’Howthedeucedothreedabsandtwoscratchesmakethestuffstandawayfromthebodyasitdoes？’saidTorpenhow，towhomDick’smethodswerealwaysnew。
’Itjustdependsonwhereyouput’emIfMaclaganhadknowthatmuchabouthisbusinesshemighthavedonebetter。’
’Whydon’tyouputthedamneddabsintosomethingthatwillstay，then？’
insistedtheNilghai，whohadreallytakenconsiderabletroubleinhiringforDick’sbenefitthepenofayounggentlemanwhodevotedmostofhiswakinghourstoananxiousconsiderationoftheaimsandendsofArt，which，hewrote，wasoneandindivisible。
’WaitaminutetillIseehowIamgoingtomanagemyprocessionofwivesYouseemtohavemarriedextensively，andImustrough’eminwiththepencil——Medes，Parthians，EdomitesNow，settingasidetheweaknessandthewickednessand——andthefat-headednessofdeliberatelytryingtodoworkthatwilllive，astheycallit，I’mcontentwiththeknowledgethatI’vedonemybestuptodate，andIshan’tdoanythinglikeitagainforsomehoursatleast——probablyyearsMostprobablynever。’
’What！anystuffyouhaveinstockyourbestwork？’saidTorpenhow。
’Anythingyou’vesold？’saidtheNilghai。
’OhnoItisn’thereanditisn’tsoldBetterthanthat，itcan’tbesold，andIdon’tthinkanyoneknowswhereitisI’msureIdon’tAndyetmoreandmorewives，onthenorthsideofthesquareObservethevirtuoushorrorofthelions！’
’Youmayaswellexplain，’saidTorpenhow，andDickliftedhisheadfromthepaper。
’Thesearemindedmeofit，’hesaidslowly’Iwishithadn’tItweighssomefewthousandtons——unlessyoucutitoutwithacoldchisel。’
’Don’tbeanidiotYoucan’tposewithushere，’saidtheNilghai。
’There’snoposeinthematteratallIt’safactIwasloafingfromLimatoAucklandinabig，old，condemnedpassenger-shipturnedintoacargo-boatandownedbyasecond-hadItalianfirmShewasacrazybasketWewerecutdowntofifteentonofcoaladay，andwethoughtourselvesluckywhenwekickedsevenknotsanhouroutofher。
Thenweusedtostopandletthebearingscooldown，andwonderwhetherthecrackintheshaftwasspreading。’
’Wereyouastewardorastokerinthosedays？’
’Iwasflushforthetimebeing，soIwasapassenger，orelseI
shouldhavebeenasteward，Ithink，’saidDick，withperfectgravity，returningtotheprocessionofangrywives’IwastheonlyotherpassengerfromLima，andtheshipwashalfempty，andfullofratsandcockroachesandscorpions。’