The fresh air and sunshine were having their legitimate effect on
Margery, and had sufficiently cancelled her troubled night. She broke
out into a light laugh.
"Oh, that would be too dreadfully complicated," she said. "Let's
see--what would happen? He would put his personality into both
portraits, and get back some of mine, and so he would cease to be
himself and become a watery reminiscence of me. It's as bad as
equations. Really, Mr. Armitage, I am beginning to think you believe in
it yourself."
"No, I don't; not a bit more than you do. Well, I must say good-bye to
Frank, and tell him not to become too astral."
Frank was standing in front of his easel with the charcoal in his
hand. He had caught a very characteristic pose of his figure with
extraordinary success, and Margery and Jack exchanged a rapid glance as
they saw it; for though they had both avowed that they did not believe
a word of "Frank's nonsense," they both felt it to be a certain relief
when they saw how brilliantly Frank had sketched it in. There was a
certain sureness about his lines that seemed to give both Bedlam and
Heaven a most satisfactory remoteness. But they both noticed that Frank
had drawn the face already and erased it, and it was only represented
by a few half-obliterated lines.
Frank did not look up when they entered, and Jack crossed the room to
him.
"I'm just off," he said, seeing that the other did not look up, "and
I've come to say good-bye. I've enjoyed my visit enormously--quite
enormously."
Frank started and winced as if he had been struck, and, looking up, saw
Armitage for the first time. He drew his hand over his eyes as if he
had just been awakened and his eyes were still heavy with sleep.
"Ah, Jack, I didn't see you. What time is it? Where are you going?"
Even as he spoke he turned to the easel again and went on drawing.
"I'm going away," said Jack. "I'm going to New Quay."
"Of course you are. Well, good-bye. Drop in and see us at any time. I'm
very busy," and he was lost in his work.
Jack laid his hand on his shoulder.
"Don't overdo it, old boy," he said. "You soon knock up, you know, if
you don't take exercise. And it won't be half so good if you slave at
it all day. Half the artistic sense is good digestion."
"No, I'll be very careful," said Frank, half to himself. "Take your
hand away, please; I'm drawing in that piece."
"I shall tell them to send breakfast in here at once, Frank," said
Margery. "I'm going to have breakfast here with you."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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