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"Létonne, I give you my word of honor that I kept my face. I not only kept my face, but I said to Cellette she hadn't so much as looked up from her book I said to her, 'Cellette, this young sculptor would like to model you, but he says he must feel you first. Cellette looked around at that. You know those gamine eyes of hers that are always sure they'll never see anything new in the world?
And a minute later, 'Keep still, will you? Then he came to her ribs." Le Brux's cheeks puffed out, and he showed other signs of distress, but he controlled himself. "After that," he continued, "things happened more or less at one and the same time. Cellette giggled and squirmed. Then the boy got angry and cried, 'Will you keep still? and grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her!
"One day," continued Le Brux, "the boy rushed in here without knocking. He had something to show me. I did not have the hardihood to rebuke him, but, remembering myself in the quality of wet nurse, I was dismayed, for on this very couch lay Cellette Cellette simple, without garnishings, you understand. She was lying on her front, her chin in her hand, and reading a book.
When Fate is kind, she allots the extremes, a guardian who has never felt a sensation or one who has tired of all sensations. The latter adds wisdom to innocence, subtracts it from bliss, and becomes an ideal. Fate was kind to Lewis in handing him over to Cellette at the tragic age. Nature had shown him much; Cellette showed him the rest.
"We'll start to start to-morrow," said Leighton. "We've got to outfit, you know." Two days later they were ready. Cellette kissed them both good-by. Leighton gave her a pretty trinket, a heavy gold locket on a chain. She glanced up sidewise at him through half-closed eyes. "What's this?" she asked in the tone of the woman who knows she must always pay.
Mon matre, please let me watch! A vile tongue, English, to understand, but it was easy to read his eyes. I said, 'Watch away, my child, and I continued to transmit Cellette to the cloud up there in my big group. The boy stood around. When I glanced at the model, his eyes followed. When I worked, he worked with me.
"You cannot bathe. I won't allow it." Cellette paused in sheer amazement that any one should think there was anything she could not do. Then deliberately she continued undoing hooks. "Why can't I bathe?" she asked out of courtesy or merely because she knew the value of keeping up a conversation. "You can't bathe," said Leighton, desperately, "because you are too tender, too delicate.
But you don't. In years Cellette is very young long after your time. Well, she turned those eyes around, looked the boy over, and said" 'Let the babe feel. Then she went back to her book. "I waved the boy to her, gravely, with a working of my fingers that was as plain as French. It said, 'The lady says you may feel. The boy steps forward, and I pretend to go on with my work." Le Brux stopped.
"Excuse me, my friend," he said nervously. "Will you kindly send for another pail of water?" Leighton glanced into the pail. "There's enough left," he said impatiently. "Go on." "Ah, yes," sighed Le Brux, "go on. Just like that, go on. Well, your boy went on. He felt her head, her arms, her shoulders; you could see his fingers seeking things out. Cellette is a model born and trained.
"If it's a fine day to-morrow," said Leighton that evening to Lewis, "we'll spend it in the country. Ever been in the country around here?" Lewis shook his head. "I don't believe Cellette knows anything about the country. It would be a great thing, Dad, if we could take her with us. She's shown me around a lot. I'd I'd like to." Leighton suppressed a grimace. "Why not?" he replied cheerfully.
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