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When I repeated this conversation to Quarles he wondered why I had taken so much trouble over the art dealer. "Looking for a clue," I answered. Quarles shrugged his shoulders. "What did you think of the portrait?" "Frankly, not much." "But you got an impression of Madame Vatrotski's character." "I cannot say I got any great enlightenment.
Both these men were pleased to believe themselves the serious item in Madame Vatrotski's life, and Sir Charles in hot-headed fashion, and Renaud, in cold contempt, told me very plainly what they thought of me when I suggested that the lady might not be so innocently transparent as she seemed. Up to a certain point it was comparatively easy to follow Madame's movements.
I was in a detached position when I painted Madame Vatrotski's portrait, and you have seen the result; had I been under her spell the result would undoubtedly have been different. I should have painted only the mask of the moment, and that would have satisfied her admirers, I imagine. I suppose you know that my ideas of the true functions of art have caused many people to call me a crank?"
The rage for the tango, the sensational revue, for the Russian ballet, was at its height when Madame Vatrotski's name first appeared on the hoardings in foot-long letters. The management of the Olympic billed her extensively as a very paragon of marvels, but most of the critics refused to endorse this opinion.
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