"Then, too, her way of expressing herself, showed more culture than you usually find amongst girls who hire themselves out to be painted. It was easy to see that the fair creature had some strange story connected with her. "'Nay, nay,' said I, 'if you had chosen your own face you would not have shown bad taste in the matter. And though, indeed, beauty is transient, while ugliness endures, and there may be inconveniences, or even dangers in the impressions it makes on those who see you, still you would hardly convince me, young lady, that you are seriously annoyed at having such a face. You would be quite unique if it were so.' "'You may think what you like,' she replied negligently, and her lovely full upper lip assumed a scornful expression. 'I know perfectly well what men are. If a poor thing is vain of her little bit of pink and white, _that_ does not suit them, and if she is not vain at all, but rather curses the beauty which has cost her so dear, why that will not please them either! But after all I have nothing to do with setting other people right, it is enough that I know what I know.' "After this unflattering declaration came a long pause. Mynheer van Kuylen sat at his easel, and attempted by the tenderest glazing to convey the smoothness of that skin, and the lustre of those moist eyes; the child had laid down her stocking, and was turning the pages of a picture-book, and by way of putting a good face on my embarrassment I lit a cigar. "'You have no objection, Miss?' I enquired in my most ingratiating tones. "She slightly nodded, and in so doing gave a sigh, and her delicate nostrils quivered. "'May one venture to ask your name, Fraeulein?' I resumed after a while. "'My name is Katharine,' she replied in the same curt, out-spoken way. 'But all who know me call me Kate. As to my parent's name that would not interest you.' "'Miss Kate,' I said, 'I notice from your manner of speech that you do not belong to Munich." "'No.' "'Your accent has something Rhinelandish about it.' "'Very possibly.' "'Have you any reasons for objecting to speak of your home?' "'Why do you ask?' "'I should like one of these days to go and see whether there are many faces there like yours.' "'Only one,' she replied in the most matter-of-fact tone. 'But that is painted on glass in St. Catharine's Church.' "'Then you sat for it?' "'No,' returned she; 'it was just the other way.' "I looked at Van Kuylen to see whether he could make anything of this strange speech, but he seemed so taken up with his work as not even to hear our conversation. "'You must not be offended with me, Miss Kate,' said I after an interval, 'if I put a few more questions to you. Your answers are so many riddles. I am not prompted believe me by mere curiosity, but by sincere interest in knowing what circumstances can have led you to leave your home, and after so good an education, and with so beautiful a face, to adopt here--'