'Oh, she's a girl I used to know. I haven't seen her for two years. I
thought she had forgotten my existence.'
'Call her up on the phone. If we don't solve this mystery we shan't
sleep to-night. It's like Robinson Crusoe and the footprint.'
Ruth went to the telephone. After a short conversation she turned to
Kirk with sparkling eyes and the air of one with news to impart.
'Kirk! She wants you to paint her portrait!'
'What!'
'She's engaged to Bailey! Just got engaged! And the first thing she
does is to insist on his letting her come to you for her portrait,'
Ruth bubbled with laughter. 'It's to be a birthday present for Bailey,
and Bailey has got to pay for it. That's so exactly like Sybil.'
'I hope the portrait will be. She's taking chances.'
'I think it's simply sweet of her. She's a real friend.'
'At fairly long intervals, apparently. Did you say you had not seen her
for two years?'
'She is an erratic little thing with an awfully good heart. I feel
touched at her remembering us. Oh, Kirk, you must do a simply wonderful
portrait, something that everybody will talk about, and then our
fortune will be made! You will become the only painter that people will
go to for their portraits.'
Kirk did not answer. His experiences of late had developed in him an
unwonted mistrust of his powers. To this was added the knowledge that,
except for an impressionist study of Ruth for private exhibition only,
he had never attempted a portrait. To be called upon suddenly like this
to show his powers gave him much the same feeling which he had
experienced when called upon as a child to recite poetry before an
audience. It was a species of stage fright.
But it was certainly a chance. Portrait-painting was an uncommonly
lucrative line of business. His imagination, stirred by Ruth's, saw
visions of wealthy applicants turned away from the studio door owing to
pressure of work on the part of the famous man for whose services they
were bidding vast sums.
'By Jove!' he said thoughtfully.
Another aspect of the matter occurred to him.
'I wonder what Bailey thinks about it!'
'Oh, he's probably so much in love with her that he doesn't mind what
she does. Besides, Bailey likes you.'
'Does he?'
'Oh, well, if he doesn't, he will. This will bring you together.'
'I suppose he knows about it?'
'Oh, yes. Sybil said he did. It's all settled. She will be here
to-morrow for the first sitting.'
Kirk spoke the fear that was in his mind.
'Ruth, old girl, I'm horribly nervous about this. I am taken with a
sort of second sight. I see myself making a ghastly failure of this job
and Bailey knocking me down and refusing to come across with the
cheque.'
'Sybil is bringing the cheque with her to-morrow,' said Ruth simply.
