Mrs. Porter looked up.
'Oh, there you are!' she said.
'Yes, here I am,' agreed Kirk affably.
'Is this yours?'
'It is.'
'You painted it?'
'I did.'
'It is poor. It shows a certain feeling for colour, but the drawing is
weak,' said Mrs. Porter. For this wonderful woman was as competent at
art criticism as at automobile driving and first aid. 'Where did you
study?'
'In Paris, if you could call it studying. I'm afraid I was not the
model pupil.'
'Kindly come down. You are giving me a crick in the neck.'
Kirk descended. He found Mrs. Porter still regarding the masterpiece
with an unfavourable eye.
'Yes,' she said, 'the drawing is decidedly weak.'
'I shouldn't wonder,' assented Kirk. 'The dealers to whom I've tried to
sell it have not said that in so many words, but they've all begged me
with tears in their eyes to take the darned thing away, so I guess
you're right.'
'Do you depend for a living on the sale of your pictures?'
'Thank Heaven, no. I'm the only artist in captivity with a private
income.'
'A large income?'
''Tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a church door, but 'tis
enough, 'twill serve. All told, about five thousand iron men per
annum.'
'Iron men?'
'Bones.'
'Bones?'
'I should have said dollars.'
'You should. I detest slang.'
'Sorry,' said Kirk.
Mrs. Porter resumed her tour of the studio. She was interrupted by the
arrival of the doctor, a cheerful little old man with the bearing of
one sure of his welcome. He was an old friend of Kirk's.
'Well, what's the trouble? I couldn't come sooner. I was visiting a
case. I work.'
'There is no trouble,' said Mrs. Porter. The doctor spun round,
startled. In the dimness of the studio he had not perceived her. 'Mr.
Winfield's servant has injured his knee very superficially. There is
practically nothing wrong with him. I have made a thorough
examination.'
The doctor looked from one to the other.
'Is the case in other hands?' he asked.
'You bet it isn't,' said Kirk. 'Mrs. Porter just looked in for a family
chat and a glimpse of my pictures. You'll find George in bed, first
floor on the left upstairs, and a very remarkable sight he is. He is
