The Common Law

working. After an interval the bell rang again, briefly, as tho

er foil. For a few moments he continued working, not inclined to trouble himself to answer the door, but the hesitating timidity of a thir

el?" she asked in

e said,

ur pardon for

u my name?"

-nob

o me? Didn't an

N

did you

alke

e pause; then she turned away i

sent for. It isn't done in this building." He pointed to a black

rry. I didn't

nly, I don't see how y

boy question you?

ome up on t

dn't wa

es

ve st

. Besides, I was not quite certain that m

, "you must have wanted a

, I

I suppose yo

uld care t

anyhow. Twelve flights! For the lo

there was light enough in the great studio. Through the vast sheets o

hair himself, and began to sharpen a pencil. As yet he had scarcely glanced at her, and now, while he leisur

r routine, and it would make it much easier for us if y

as a long, brisk, decis

in search of engagements, we won't have any leisure to employ you because it will take all our time to answer the bell. An

he opened his model book, looked up at her

oing to remov

up, were nervously busy a moment. She removed her ve

she said: "Did you wi

ill looking i

said, calmly. H

ll? Just '

if that is cus

and, as she gave it to

ulders?" he a

ery conf

gur

ess conf

or und

it had been; perhaps not, for, except the vivid lips and a carnation tint in

raped?" he repea

o-what is-requ

ed, noting the detail

m have you re

up amiably, balancing his pencil in

essary to-

lways so everlastingly anxious to tell us-particularly when the men for whom y

was now all forced, and her heart was beating very fast, and her black-gloved fingers were closing a

iting in his note b

, thick, lustrous, and brown; head, unusu

iting and lif

r time is taken

ha

ve you? Is your time all

-n

me what time I

hink

that your figure is what I have an idea it

reliable," under his notes; but, as his pencil began to move, her lips

u require of me. I

on to make a time contract with me?-p

ded unc

eatre," he added, sternly stroking his short mustache, "and under tho

her eyes was bewilderment

ed to say, "I th

he Bimmington's ball-room. Max Schindler put on a show, and she put for the spot-light.

d the exceedingly engaging

a thing as that to me,

s W

not clearly comprehen

recruit's

by me if our engag

-will t

er I can use you for the Byzantine job." He rose, walked over to a pair of closed folding doors

on him as though fascinated. He had already turned and sauntered over to one

lass above swimming in crystal light. Through it clouds were dissolving in the bluest of skies; against it a spiderweb of pendant cords drooped from the high ceiling; and she sa

the studio to her. "The light is fine, no

ived to rise, to move with apparent se

what I need we might start things now. I am all

hands had suddenly become powerless or they shook too much; and when he turned, almost impatiently, from his ea

furniture of a bed-room. There was a flowered screen there, too. Behind it stood a chair, and onto this she sank, laid her hands for

nd lump of charcoal; but after a while it occurred to him that

called. "Do you realise you've be

er he thought he heard an indist

s We

was no

across to the folding doors; and the sa

began, walking into the

rtly undressed, her face hidden in her hands; and

l?" he aske

t she slowly

in the na

l be ready in a in-moment-if

ill? An

-n

you so that you don't fe

ost ready-if y

er, uneasy and

briefly. "Take your

ck and crayon, he began to square o

ng with the best lookers…. And she is a real beauty-or I miss my guess." He went on ruling off, measuring, grumbling, until slowly the

r rippled to her waist; her white arms hung limp, yet the fingers had curled till every delicate nail

reath, "you're practically fault

gaze narrowing, there stole over her a delicate flush, faintly staining her from brow to ankle, transfi

You're about everything I requir

e nor moved as m

elligently." He swung another easel on its rollers, displaying a sketch in soft, brilliant

t-somehow or other-though you haven't said very much." He l

r yourself that you're perfectly fitted to stand or sit for all these floating, drifting, cloud-cradled goddesses. You're an inspiration in yourself-for the perfections of Olympus!" he added, laughing, "and that's no idle compliment. But of course oth

kety but safe. It will hol

eps, mounted, balancing with arms extended and the t

he bases, marked positions with arrows, and wedged and blocked up her elbow. Then he threw over her a soft, white, wool robe, swathing her from throat t

e a blue jumper; there were traces of paint on it, on

Har

or

ven. So if you'll be kind enough to

e above, then calmly spat upon his hands and laid hold of one si

's where I want it. Get a ladder and clamp the tops. Pitch it a little

ow, Miss West,' he

g fast the great blank canvas which had been squar

d canvases and settled the oval one into place. Everything below seemed to be on rubber wheels or

the city spread away between its rivers, glittering under the early April sun; the Park lay like a grey and green map set with, the irregular silver of water; b

Much obliged. I wo

good,

ut with another incurious glance

curly head, lighted a cigarette, picked up his palette, fastened a tin cup to the edge, filled it from a bottle, took a handful

upright and stood on the ladder half

est," he sai

ed through her like a flame, burning her

on't move while I'm draw

rawing with a brush, rapidly, and with, a ki

rawing her figure. But after a little while curves appeared; long delicate outlines began to emerge as rounded surfaces in monochrome, casting definite shadows on other surfaces. She could recogni

r, another on the mouth. A great swirl of cloud forms

ng great meaningless lines in distant expanses of the texture, then, always consulting her with his keen, impersonal gaze, he pushed back his

ite flecks of colour set here and there on the white expanse; watched all so intently, so wonderingly, t

down from his ladder and up on hers before her ha

ked, sharply. "I can't keep tr

she contrived to gather the white wool coveri

foolish to act this way. I don

er head amid its l

y. He looked down at the big clock: "It's a ful

t know wha

ished. Then: "Well, you felt yo

shed vividly under his astonished gaze: "I think I h

first

told you. I was afraid

reathed. "You poor

and leaned one elbow on the ladder, watching them. After a while they ceased, but

derstand?" he a

e told you. I

io. If you'd only given me an idea of how matters stood I could have made it a little easier. I'm afraid

d at him, with the tears s

y nice to me. It i

all right, now that we

es

nning model," h

ou will let m

hed; "I'll be more

" she said; "I'll come

you. Tell me, do you wish

d below, d

If I could only

umble off and break into pieces. I like you better

ing her body and flexing her arms with a little sigh of relief. As her shy sidelong gaze reverted to him she saw to her relief that he was no

pied with the palette which he was carefully scraping, "do you ha

with quick diffidence that she could no

of the palette with a

ink that you

til I know how t

ve to learn how to

w exactly wh

ever learn. Some know how

htly: "Do you re

ecessary for you to accustom yourself to holding

red to ask. "I don't quite un

placed on your spine, and your legs and arms are properly attached to your torso-your entire body, anatomically speaking, is hinged, hung, supported, deve

interested, surprised, her

acefully. Few women are so built that an ungraceful motion is imposs

ilent, watchin

ed you my sketch, indicated in a general way what I wanted, and instinctively and intelligently you assumed the proper attitude. I didn't have to take you by the chin and twist your head as though you were a lay figure; I

o the chin in the white wool folds. A smi

it very easy f

it easy fo

afraid," she s

no doubt

know-no man can understand th

a ghastly

t easier-but-there in the little room-my courage left me-I almos

ed to, but the terror of i

not exactly afraid of my-my appearance, but because I was a no

t you might take the pose again if you ar

t than before. Very carefully she set her feet on the blocks, fitting the shapely heels to the chalke

id briefly; "go ah

u wish

I'd ra

ow exactly

absently, selecting a flat b

oment, then, li

ask you y

Oh, Lord! Oh, Vanity! I

he feared was annoyance on his part; then perceiv

Miss West. It's our little vanity-rather harmless after all. We're a pretty decent lot, sometimes absurd, especially in our

granted that somehow you had heard of me and had climbed tw

nting; and he coolly took advantage of it, and while exciting and stimul

lve flights solely for the pri

g to begin at the top and apply for work all the w

begin at

iously; "if two or three artists had refused me on the first an

mount by experience, using ou

scent-when misfortune and disappointment become endurable; when hope deferred no longer

in surprise; then

is the philosop

struggle of yea

all-acquiescence, desponde

tire of f

Another

e never had to f

vey of her, he resumed his painting with a sharp, impers

e-things have a habit of coming my way…. I suppose I'm not exactly the man to lecture anybody on the art of fighting fortune. She's alway

es

at her: "Ar

swiftly, so easily-paint so surely, so accurately-that every brush stroke could be so-s

girl am I dealing with?-or what kind of a

idn't

f yours are not entirely for ornament. Inside that pretty head

aily, a trif

till it gives me keenest pleasure to employ it. It does scare me occasionally-has for

the big palette curving up over his left sho

xpress myself-that will not tolerate the inertia of calculation and ponderous reflection? Ought I to check myself, consider, worry, entangle myself in psychologies, seek for subtleties

ugh the mass of rags in his left hand with a

his infernal twittering on an April morning. God knows whether there's anything in my work or in his twitter;

; and he continued painting and talkin

Kelly-my friends do," he added, laughi

es

you saw that big canvas of mine for the ceiling of the Metro

I sa

u care

s the man who had enveloped her, swayed her senses, whirled her upward into his ocean of limpid light! This was the man who had done that miracle before which, all day long, crowds of the sober, decent, unimag

, diffidently,

all

laughed, and went

good would it do me to sit down and draw casts with a thin, needle-pointed stick of hard char

, stretche

arms; and even then I couldn't paint fast enough to satisfy what my eyes and brain have already evoked upon an untouched canvas…. It's a sort of intoxication that gets hold of me; I'm perfectly cool, too, which

suppose you mean that

in a volume so that it won't scare me! Yes! That's it. I am confident.

rush to the preliminary sketch that f

ing to be hard; I'll block up your heels, later; that's it! Stand up straight, stretch as t

ere and there with shadow shapes and masses. And time flew at first, then went slo

rest a

cordially, laying asi

West, and we'll

thed herself in

u mean

umb-waiter. I'll

said, "but do you t

y n

take lunch

y n

custo

it is

will go out to l

I'm worried half to death for fear that you'll vanish in a golden cloud, or somethi

little white hand balanced on his arm. When she s

o anything that I ough

Neville?" she a

simple matter of routine. It's sole significance is two empty stomachs.

hy

talk to you. Besides, I've always the hope that you'll suddenly become conver

nversed with y

acted like a cocktail to ins

you were not nam

merely frankness. Let me g

can't do it this way!" she exc

e up your robe at the throat, tuck up your sleeves, slip your feet int

and returned to where she was sitting at a rococo table. She blushed as he laid the card before her, and would have nothing to do with it. The result was that he di

ritically. "All this-deviltry-whatever it is inside of me-must come out someho

it. I get rid of mine on canvas. It's a safer

, hands extended along the arms, looking

an artist-was so di

This world is full of pale, enraptured artists; full of muscular, thumb-smearing artists; full of dreamy weavers of visions, usually de

irresponsible chatter, she from sheer pleasure in listening and looking at this

lushing at her capacity for it, and at her acquiescence in the strangest conditions in which she had ever found herself in all her lif

bath-slippers, tucked up her white wool sleeves to the dimpled el

e said, helping him and then herself. "But I am w

oralising!" h

der if

born with a full and healthy capacity for demoralisation and mischief. Mischief is only one form of energy. If lightning flies about ungui

r lightning-rods?" sh

anvas. What outlet have you for

ven't

perfectly well that this

devil

out

ught t

ght

e as full of restl

on't thi

o superbly healthy, so"-he laughed-"adapted to dynamics. Yo

salad gravely, tasted it

life had any outlet-ne

ill

equal, who came to his door looking for work as a model. He thought to himself that probably it was some distressing tale which he couldn't help, and the recital of which would do neither of them any good. Of stories of models

to prod him. He could easily have left matters where they were, maint

e said, cautiously. "Other

-di

?" sh

e of self-consciousness or t

This is almost one. At least it giv

sin

es

uite under

ows, would not have been an outlet for me…. I was a show-girl for two

outlet was too stupid

, I have principles,

, as you say. Youth stifled too long means death-the death of yo

n quick, sens

e; and do you know I never had a childhood? And I am simply wi

f, looking across

," he

t is

ll me t

ngers picking at her napkin; then,

lhood were passed caring for her. That is all I ever did until-a year

died,

go last F

l. You must have m

hool for a year. After

been extremel

ng absently at the clo

tand me when I tell you why I dec

to," he sa

y, so worth living-please don't think me foolish and immature, Mr. Neville-but I was so stifled, so cut off from such people, so uninspired, so-so starved

ed, wistful expression as thoug

. The men were-impossible. There may have been girls I could have liked-but I did not meet them. So, as I had to do something-and my years of seclusion with mother had unfitted me for any bus

ent her head

ellects? You want to combine these wit

o-gone through with in your studio"-she blushed vividly-"in a-a desperate attempt to escape the-the loneliness, the si

"For which there is supposed to be b

nd fro for a few mom

distress and uncertainty aside, have y

have no idea what

n you an out

t the idea of going through

and she trie

sts are as kind

to the pulpit…. I'm going to make a contract with you. After that, regretfully, I'll see that you meet the men who will be valuable to you….

r while she mounted to her eyrie. Then, erect, delicately flushed, sh