"But we're going to be married long before that time. Look here, Evarne love, give them all up! Don't sit for anyone else but me. Come, spoil me a bit. Let me be selfish. My picture is all ready and waiting for the model." "It's terribly unfair to the others, but----" "Never mind them. Seriously, I mean it." "It's a shame, when they've been waiting, but there--it's delightful to be unkind to other people, and treat them badly for your sake. It shall be as you wish. It is wrong, though! Aren't you ashamed?" A little later eleven o'clock struck. Evarne pinned on her hat. "Oh, don't go yet! It's far too early," cried Geoffrey. But Evarne only smiled. "On the contrary, it is rather late. Say good-bye quickly," she responded. The timepiece ticked on placidly, neither faster nor slower than its usual steady wont. "Goodness gracious, Geoff, you must send that silly old clock to be mended. It actually has jumped a whole quarter of an hour! It is no use its pretending we have been twenty minutes saying good-bye. Do call a taxi quickly." "And to-morrow I'm coming to supper with you. Oh dear me! twenty-four hours to wait!" "Only about twenty now; and remember, if our stars in their courses had not chanced to touch, we might have both lived twenty-four years more--and more still--and been lonely to the end. See what we have escaped." By midnight Evarne was safely alone in her own little bedroom. She studied her reflection in the mirror before removing her hat, and smiled with pleasure to behold cheeks blooming as a blush rose; lips made up of happy curves; and eyes shining for very joy as brightly as the most brilliant stars in the summer heaven. CHAPTER XXXII FRANK'S BRILLIANT IDEA On Friday Evarne was free to give her time to Geoff, and the big Greek picture was duly commenced. Again she wore flowing white draperies, but of a more ornate and ample description than the very simple robe in which she had previously posed in this studio. Her head was encircled by a barbaric fillet, studded with roughly-cut, albeit gleaming stones, and high up on her arms were wide bracelets of chased gold; for although a captive, fair Andromache was a princess. Yet those same arms bore delicate fetters around the wrists, for Hector's widow was now a slave. On her shoulder was to be borne a terra-cotta vase of classical design. It was very beautiful, both in contour and workmanship, but it was far from small, and Geoff was troubled lest his dear model should grow weary. "You must stop as soon as you even begin to feel tired; don't wait for the ordinary rests. Will you promise?" he demanded, and smiling her assent, she took up the required position.