Tenterhooks

lden Q

own pictures of celebrated artists. She had been compared to almost every type of all the great painters: Botticelli, Sir Peter Lely, Gainsborough, Burne-Jones. Some people said she was like a Sargent, others called her a post-impressionist type; there was no end to the old and new masters of whom she seemed to remind people; and she certainly had the rather insidious charm of somehow recalling the past while suggesting something undiscovered in the future. There was a good deal that was enigmatic about her. It was natural, not assumed as a

oldly display her conquests. But this liking she did not, as a rule, return in any decided fashion. She had dreadfully little to say to the average woman, except to a few intimate friends, and frankly preferred the society of the average man, although she had not as yet developed a taste for coquetry, for which she had, however, many natural

creatures, or quaint creatures, for which he found the strangest names. He told Dilly about them, but Dilly was not his audience-she was rather his confidante and literary adviser; or even sometimes his collaborator. His public consisted principally of his mother. It was a convention that Edith should be frigh

wishes you to come and hear about the golden-something he's just m

mped up

l Master Arch

excited; Archie, fairly self-controlled, with a paper in his hand on whi

ly, 'the golden quoribus is the most horrible animal, the

nning to shiver. 'Wait a moment-let m

hands, looking at him with a terrified

mb in her mouth, watching the

azeka, of course, I suppose

' said

gazeka? Why-the gazeka's nothing at all-it's a rotten little animal. It

on,' said Edith repe

re frightening even than the jilbery. Do you

ery! Oh, good gracious! Ho

long as from here to B

longer,' s

golden quoribus because it's bright gold,

reen,' sa

old your tongue,

!... And what

nd sharp, and

athe fire?'

iled cont

t's a silly dragon in a fairy story? Of c

Edith apologet

n and the frightening part, I'm coming to now.' He became emphatic, and spoke slowly.

' she sh

nly. 'It has large claws

d! Good

eyes; and claws coming out of the ears; and claws coming o

held up her hands in front of h

h,' said Archie, coming a step ne

h ju

f the hands, and claws

ing up and down, 'and claws on the ceiling, and c

t slap she was

d tears filled t

know a gentleman oughtn't to hit a lady, not even-I mean, especially not if

incy he entirely

quickly finished it off all wrong! The author might be forgiven under such circumstances if in his irritation he took a strong line. In Vincy's opinion it served Dilly jolly well right. Young? Of course she was young, but four (he said) was not a day too soon to begin to lea