For the second time the scene was set in the Trocadero Grill. Mr. Dix pointed out that the decoration, garish in detail, nevertheless took its place in the _ensemble_; and Dorothy's eyes widened, and she said that she hoped he would say that, in those very words, in one of his articles--she had thought that very thing so many times herself, but had lacked the knowledge to express it: she supposed that was where the genius came in. Didn't Mr. Dix think (she wanted to know) that genius _was_ just that--the power of expressing what everybody had thought in terms they had never thought of? Given genius as a text, he is a poor critic who cannot talk for an hour without a break; and, as Mr. Dix slowly consumed liqueur brandy as he talked, Dorothy became very beautiful to him. He became tender, not to say mushy. He vowed that the sentimental point of view was something to be proud, not ashamed, of. He spoke of the struggles of poor artists, of the temptations that beset poor critics when they were asked to sell the truth for gold; and Dorothy said that it must be awful, but that it would be a comfort to her thenceforward, whenever she heard such dreadful tales, to know that one man at least understood. Was the Miss Towers of whom he had spoken one of those unfortunate ones? She had heard (she said) of a _Mr._ Towers, a painter, but that could not be the same.... "The same--the very same!" Mr. Dix laughed, while the curls shook on his head; and he told the story of his early mistake.... "And she has actually signed a contract with these hard-hearted dealers, whoever they are, and can't sell her own work?" Dorothy sighed meltingly. "Poor thing! And can nothing be done to help her?" "What a large soft heart you have, Miss Lennard!" murmured Mr. Dix, squegeeing her, so to speak, with his gelatinous eyes; they really might have been of the same substance as printing-machine rollers. "Poor child!" Dorothy sighed compassionately. "Really, I feel like going round and seeing these horrible people myself! They couldn't eat me, could they?" Mr. Dix looked as if he could have eaten Miss Lennard, without sugar. "Poor dear! But, I'm sure they couldn't resist _you_, Mr. Dix--not if you said the beautiful things to them you've been saying to me----" If they could, they could have done more than Mr. Dix could Dorothy. "_Do_ help the poor child!" Dorothy pleaded. "Half the trouble in the world seems to me to come of goodness and power being in the wrong hands, Mr. Dix."... Again she lifted the large baby eyes.... "I'm sure you will...." * * * * * And the worst feature about the whole immoral transaction was that she did not ask, but conferred a favour--the favour of showing Mr. Hamilton Dix what a sympathetic, chivalrous, and large-hearted person Mr. Hamilton Dix could be. IV "IL FAUT QU' UNE PORTE--"