United States or Angola ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
But his instinct had told him to stay on in Garstin's studio when everything else in him, revolting, had shrunk from meeting this beast, unless and until he could deal with him properly. He had smoked about half his cigar, and the constraint in the room seemed to him to be lessened, though not abolished, when the conversation took a turn quite unexpected by him.
Nevertheless, when he left the Foreign Office on the Monday about half-past four, instead of going towards Mayfair he found himself walking quickly in the direction of Chelsea. Miss Van Tuyn was in Garstin's studio on that day. Although apparently calm and self-possessed she was in a condition of acute nervous excitement. Craven's mention of Glebe Place through the telephone had startled her.
"I'm going to have a good sweat in the Harrow Road." Braybrooke was disgusted. It was not that he really minded the word used to indicate the process which obtains in a Turkish Bath. No; it was Garstin's blatant way of speaking it that offended his susceptibilities. The man was perpetually defying the decencies and delicacies which were as perfume in Braybrooke's nostrils.
She remembered a hundred things about him now, all mixed up together, in no coherent order, little things at which she had wondered but which she wondered at no longer; his distaste for Garstin's portraits because they were of people belonging to the underworld, his understanding of them, his calm contemplation of the victims of vice, his lack of all pity for them, his shrewd verdict on the judge which had so delighted Garstin.
Presently he reached the point in his narrative where Arabian walked into Dick Garstin's studio. Then she moved. She seemed suddenly seized with an uncontrollable restlessness. He went on without looking at her, but he heard her movements, the rustle of her gown, the touch of her hand on a sofa cushion, on the tea-table, the chink of moved china, touching other china.
He seemed to be thinking rather seriously, and presently his large eyes turned towards Miss Van Tuyn for an instant, almost, she thought, as if they wished to consult her, to read in her eyes something which might help him to a decision. She felt that the man was flattered by Garstin's request, but she felt also that something she did not know what held him back from granting it.
"I quite understand that," said Sir Seymour, calmly. Arabian turned round and faced him. And as he did so Sir Seymour said to himself: "The fellow's been drinking heavily." This thought had not occurred in his mind till this moment, but he felt certain that Garstin's sharp eyes had noticed the fact sooner, probably directly they had seen Arabian at the street door.
Either he would succeed, or he would abandon the attempt to succeed, or a third possibility presented itself to Miss Van Tuyn's mind his model would get tired of the conflict and refuse to "sit" any more. And then the depths? Till now Arabian's patience had been remarkable. Evidently Garstin's obstinacy was matched by an obstinacy in him.
He had shown a sort of gallant admiration of her. He had beamed kindly upon her youth and her daring. Now he showed nothing. But Adela had told him! She wrote down Dick Garstin's address in Glebe Place, and was about to come away from the writing-table when Sir Seymour said: "Could you also kindly give me your card with a line of introduction to Mr. Garstin? I don't know him."
There was a great cry for her in his silence. She did not answer Garstin's note. That was not necessary. She knew she would see him on the morrow. Directly after lunch on the following day she walked to Glebe Place, wondering whether Arabian would be there. As usual, Garstin answered the door and covered her with a comprehensive glance as she stood on the doorstep. "Black suites you," he said.
Word Of The Day