"Well, he's the best looking piece of human sculpture I've seen since I last went through the Vatican galleries. Regular Apollo. Funny, the Albany Wyants having a hand in turning out a heathen divinity. I was showing the picture to Manford just now, and telling him the fond mother's comment." Pauline looked up quickly. "Has Dexter been here too?" "Yes; trying to give _me_ a leg up." He glanced at his bandages. "Rather more difficult, that. I must get it down first--to the floor. But Manford's awfully kind too--it's catching. He wants me to go off with Jim, down to that island of his, and get a fortnight's real sunshine. Says he can get Jim off by a little wirepulling, some time just before Easter, he thinks. It's tempting--" Pauline smiled: she was always pleased when the two men spoke of each other in that tone; and certainly it _was_ kind of Dexter to offer the hospitality of his southern island to poor Arthur... She thought how easy life would be if only every one were kind and simple. "But about Michelangelo: I was going to tell you what is worrying Amalasuntha. Of course what she means by Michelangelo's going into business in America is marrying an heiress--" "Oh, of course. And I daresay he will." "Exactly. She's got her eye on one already. You haven't guessed? Nona!" Pauline's sense of humour was not unfailing, but this relaxed her taut nerves, and she laughed. "Poor Michelangelo!" "I thought it wouldn't worry you. But what is worrying Amalasuntha is that he won't be let--" "Be let?" "By Lita. Her theory is that Lita will fall madly in love with Michelangelo as soon as she lays eyes on him--and that when they've had one dance together she'll be lost. And Amalasuntha, for that reason--though she daren't tell you so--thinks it might really be cheaper in the end to pay Michelangelo's debts than to import him. As she says, it's for the family to decide, now she's warned them." Their laughter mingled. It was the first time, perhaps, since they had been young together; as a rule, their encounters were untinged with levity. But Pauline dismissed the laugh hurriedly for the Grant Lindons. At the name Wyant's eyes lit up: it was as if she had placed an appetizing morsel before a listless convalescent. "But you're the very person to tell me all about it--or, no, you can't, of course, if Manford's going to take it up. But no matter--after all, it's public property by this time. Seen this morning's 'Looker-on'--with pictures? Here, where--" In the stack of illustrated papers always at his elbow he could never find the one he wanted, and now began to toss over "Prattlers," "Listeners" and others with helpless hand. How that little symptom of inefficiency took her back to the old days, when his perpetual disorder, and his persistent belief that he could always put his hand on everything, used to be such a strain on her nerves! "Pictures?" she gasped.