Don Orsino

re a few inches higher from the ground and looked again. Orsino watched the proceedings from a little distance, debating whether he should go away or remain. Much depended upon Madame

sort of traditional, exclusive right to his sitter's sole attention. The sitter, too, if a woman, enjoys the privilege of sacrificing one-half her good looks in a bad light, to favour the other side which is presented to the artist's vi

He took up his position, in a deep seat under the high window, and watched Madame d'Aragona's profile. Neither she nor Gouache made any remark. Gouache began to brush over the face of his pictu

g a few minutes?" he said,

rushing away in a lively manner. Madame s

screet?" a

do not like to feel that some one is looking at me and that I cannot look at him, if I plea

at a beautiful woman is most be

ke exactly the same remark. But they were talking in

ugly woman?" asked

to her-rapid motion-the d

s position and was st

like to feel that any one is standing behind me when I am at work. It is a

asked Madame d

I am at work is making me see everything as he sees,"

pillar to post, ha

d'Aragona with a contemptuous curl of her heavy lips. "Monsieur d

m of address, which betrayed ignorance either of worldly usage or else of Ors

. "Madame can see you, and

rfectly well aware that Gouache had intended to correct her manner of addressing the young man. The latter was sli

asked. He was conscious that the question lacked

next month, next week? I cannot tell. I know no one. I have never been here before. It is dull. This was my object," she added, after a short pause. "When

n question might be, that Orsino glanced at Gouache, to

confirmed by the observations of many centuries. Even in my o

dame d'Aragona's eyes met his, the

ghing at me," she

caught it as it passed. It must be allowed that she permitted it to linger, as

it, Madame," he observed, "I h

s as he spoke. Madame d'Aragona was not in th

?" she enquired. The smile grew a little mor

have never seen eyes of

ow eyes," observe

animal is at second hand-

e never

me-nor even, I believe, in Albano. My fa

Saraci

My grandfather

d! I adore s

e painted three generations of the family, I who speak to you, and I hope to paint the fourth if Don Orsino

ikely to remain nameless,"

nna Ignota," suggest

to the unknown lov

faintly, but Orsino pe

an unpleasant

Madame," answere

ion, knowing perfectly well that Orsino was watching her. The young man could not see the painter's

u say. You frighten me. How disagr

o. "One hears people say of a woman

w just hanging over the white shoulder-Omphale, you know-in a modern drawing-room-a small cast of the F

d Madame d'Aragona, leaning back in her chair, and looking

ole picture," said Ors

he la

? I can restore it

minu

curacy of statement," replied G

at rare commodity he did not like to be disturbed in the realisation of it.

e pleases. These men of genius-what would you have? Yesterday a gow

ittle and turne

n enormous brush. "Fashions change. Woman endures. Beauty is eternal.

able. You are always telling me th

am looki

my mo

onal observations to make? How many claws has a t

s than a

at the young man a momen

ech. I like that better

at the portrait is li

I flatter

not thoug

ld be mor

se my

he

sure a tiger has only four claws? Where is the crea

is higher up, behind the paw. Yo

na. "Is not a tiger a cat? We must have the thi

asked Anastase, appeal

ou would only see

na. "This is dreadful! Has no one got a tige

or the emperor of Siam," obs

Aragona was n

urning to Orsino. "I am sure you could, if you would! I s

e or dead?" inquired Orsino gra

" she exclaimed with grateful enthusiasm

e, I will ask permission to exchange a few words with

n, if you please, Prince. Quite dea

d a Gouache to defend your life

took

rter of an hour," he said

ed his tall young figu

pirit, your young f

did, I think," Gouache answered

is the o

s three young

ppose the fortune

ly. "Their palace is historic. Their equipages are magnif

now them i

ing too much. I have pa

new that he had himself married the daughter of a Roman pri

l bring the tiger?"

ging a whole menagerie of ti

was really unpardonable of you to suggest the idea an

east and bring it back in the cab. But, in the first place, he was not provided with an adequate sum of money nor did he know exactly how to lay his hand on so large a sum as might be necessary, at a moment's notice. He was still under age, and his allowance had not been calculated with a view to his buying menageries. Moreover he considered that even if his pockets had been full of ban

nesca," he said

then in that very room and busy with his correspondence. Orsino had hoped to carry off what he wanted,

up in some surprise

s anything the m

to borrow your tiger's skin for

ouache want of it? Is he painting you in

uache talks of painting her as a modern Omphale, with a

skin-not a tiger's. He

a tiger. When I left they were debating whether they wanted it alive or dead. I thought of buyin

o rolled up the great hide

the lady

d'Aranjuez d'Aragona. I fancy she must be a ki

such a person. Is

s to be some

inite. What

llow eyes, reddish ha

re! Do not fall in l

she is amusing, and

ry," observed Sant' Ilar

They are wai

y the way, bring the skin back. I would rather you bought

st of the people in the street. He was just congratulating himself on having wasted so little time in conversation with his father, when the figure of a tall woman walking towards him on the pav

rsino," said the

s he descended hat in hand, and kissed

, except Giovanni himself, and there all comparison ceased. Their eyes met affectionately and it would have been, hard to say which was the more proud of the other, the son of his mother, or the mother of her son.

ona. "I have never heard

d of her either. H

uriosity to get into yo

was not much enthu

him, smiled, an

ent in the studio, and the lady would see that I had come to inspect her. Two

ake my cab? I c

n no hurry.

le, Corona passed on, leaving Orsino free a

up in the right hand corner of the picture, as he had proposed. The conversation seemed to have languished, and Orsino was immediately conscious that the atmosphere had changed since he had

d of you," she said, w

d Orsino. "My father says that Hercules wore a lion

uache. "How could we

chalk he held and look

ked the latter. "A lion-a tiger! I

ides, with the lion's skin you should have the club-imagine a club in your hands! And Hercules should b

y ideas absurd and tir

ad been mine,"

ought of it-it wa

and looked at Orsino as t

atter. "She suggested the who

you so. The Prince takes m

er you

t want to be

not

must have

m re

think of another subje

oman damsel-Colosseum-ti

old story! Besides,

us,'" suggested Gouache.

r-and then, the leopard, w

d by a man-eater-jungle-new

subjects for a dark type," sai

re the tiger walks abroad, the

nthusiastic, can you not hel

enthus

e of it. Think

would have preferred to be

was the best. Get a lion instead

y is too complicated-too Pompeian-how shall I say? Besides there is no distinct allusion. A Hercules on a bracke

What i

ino. "He is an enormous giant, an

d not do. Somethi

sive brow, the yellow, sleepy eyes, and the heavy mouth. He wond

ed the s

Madame d'Aragona. "The Sphynx in

nds on you-"

t it wearies me-until one is caught up in the machinery, a toothed wheel going round with the res

rsino as though asking h

tion!" he exclaimed. "Only

d rose from her seat. "It is time for me to go. We have do

ill not intrude upon

finish the sentence, but took up the neglect

hair and holding the forepaws in her pointed white fingers. She came

ossible to tell where the woman ends and t

or anything i

ly and dropped the sk

nger? You will not let me try?

ing on her hat and beginning to

oned and appeared to be rather slight, though the tight-fitting sleeves of her frock betrayed a remarkably well turned arm. Not seeing her face, one might not have singled her out of many as a very striking woman, fo

of her veil and then turned upon the two men. "The next sitt

e is no choice," said Gouache, "u

good-bye." She h

ach of my fingers, Madam

er your hand shaken.

his hat and was s

me to put you in

all w

ter. Good-bye, M

ay, Mo

e-you are o

only a myth. When you are sixty years

'Aragona, who was still yo

ere yesterday, n

t say t

as a to-morrow-ye

ous, my dear Go

e endeavoured to excuse to himself his derogation from his self-imposed character of cool superiority and indifference. She was very amusing, he said to himself, and he had nothing in the world to do. He never had anything to do, since his education had been completed. Why should he no

end of yours, I suppos

most a Roman. He married a distant connec

ard. He is a man

vy with all my he

he? I should no

who has a career, a profess

ve your choice. You have the world before you. Write your name upon

glancing meaningly at h

rming, all the same. They say," she added alou

occupation, and permanent interest. The t

me d'Aragona. She knew that the mere mention of s

re insurmountable

mber that I do not kno

day that there was but one hope for us. The Americans

'Aragona

uired, with a lazy glanc

be a famous duellist. He is our great wit. My fa

to break through a barrier of tradition and prejudice," said M

." Orsino shook his head incredu

woman be placed i

it. You cannot

understand men-men they love or d

Madame?" asked Or

tance," laughed Madame d'Arago

o you, if you understa

o?" She was s

to disappear

When you see that you are disliked, then refuse to go away. It is th

aid Orsino, con

on

you adv

id that I

or l

illustration to my argu

ious character, I f

udgment on me after an

! You have said five time

. Besides, one cannot sa

run on,

m not serious! It is unheard of. Is tha

would contradict me, as you do

would like t

you allow me the honour o

e d'Aragona's hotel. She stood sti

t would be asking too much of you-too much of so

nd see you?"

ad gone too far, and his vo

t somewhere," she answe