Five Nights

ad made trips up there already for the sake of taking photographs of the people and the s

e you to have tea with the pr

invitation to accept, a

s own cabin, which was next mine, and as I heard him laughing, I concluded he was joking and thought no more about it. However, as the ship glided up over flat she

oods of yellow sunshine filled all the shining air. The green copper dome of the c

h with a mat before it on which the owner had set out his little store of wares-bottles of vari

ns looked up at us with quaint brown

ou to buy, but wat

nd, "we'll go up and get t

gazing about interested in this quaint lit

ght hand. I followed, and saw we had entered a little square court or compound, simila

walls about seven feet high, and numerous

house door, and we found ourselves in a very small, dark passage, hung with red

below the level of the street. There were diminutive windows in the outer wall, but they were close to the low ceiling and though the glorious light from without tried hard to come in, it was successfully obstructed by little rush blinds of red and green. The rushes were placed vertically side by side and fastened together with st

and sat down on some very ordinary American chairs, a hideous note in the

ley," I said as I took m

ng on the table. At the touch of his finger the head of the figure disappeared betwee

ins that hung over the doorway part

ry spirit of poetic girlhoo

eighteen years; seventeen or eighteen according to our

ped. The eyes inclined a little to the Chinese shape, but were large, wide, and well-opened and brimming to the lids with extraordinary light and fire; delicately narrow black eyebrows arched above on the

by the earrings of turquoise-blue stone that swung aga

e darkness that lies behind closed lids! How often I was back in the crimson darkness of the tin

dressed, yet so fitl

white muslin vest. Her skirts hung like the full trousers of Persian women, and

do, Suzee?"

ned the girl lightly, smiling and sho

want some tea? Ve

d disappeared as rapidly and

Morley wit

ovely, p

she's married, old man, so don't you thi

dulously, "that child? Im

. She has a great roarin

Yes, horrible. You've spoiled

hat's the sort that does these things, isn't it?

h an exquisite sight float before one for a moment, and then to be roughly d

n her hands which she set on our table, and deftly a

a faint scent of roses reached me from the little buds behind her ear. The blue stones

asked Morley with a tone

ll, thank you,

you bring him in?" he continued,

," she returned nonchalantly, and, in spite of

n her arms an enormous baby. Its face was red, and it was roaring lustily. The girl-mother did not seem disturbed in the least by

tely dainty mother. She was short and small, and the child really, a

oy he is," re

e?" said the

ed down its scarlet face, and it dug its

s in pain,"

llowing. She might have been deaf for all the effect it had upon her. She stood there placidly holding it, though it seemed very heavy

suddenly I should like to paint it, just as

one, certainly not the British pu

one at that. "Beauty and the Beast" would

bsorbingly beautiful than the mother; n

the smallest notice of it; she laid one shapely hand on the small of its back, as if to make sure it was there, and continued her convers

al of yells, during which the baby rolled, apparently in the las

ting her glorious almond eyes to m

s," I said evasively, "and I don

" she returned composedly;

about the child's waist, as a tired gardener ha

relessly did she seem to manage it, and as she rose and carried it to the do

happy child was hauled to a back room, I drew a breath of relief and began to drink my

ou to be di

is a divine piece of physical beauty.

old curmudgeon of a husban

a temper, judging by his offspring,"

g one up between supple fingers. She had an air of extraordinary unruffled placidity. The dragging about of the child had not disturbed her d

Suzee?" questione

ned, and my spirits leapt up at her words. Her husband awa

hat sweet little dainty curves showed beneath the blue silk jacket and sleeve! What a glo

him laying down on the table the money for ou

out before dinner, hadn't w

azing a

sked her. "Later in the evening perhaps

rise in those wonderful eyes, b

but I don't walk, I smoke and go to sleep. But I will come w

tive of surprise and disappro

ere at six; so don't be as

of the little room into the passage. In the outer court, as we passed t

best of it,"

h that girl. Do be careful or you'll have

turned laughing. "You hav

is unearthly boat. Aren't you g

k up something. I thought six when all the men

you going to

pose for me,

hing

s in life," I a

arded me t

o manage to ha

ust the same if y

answered slowly. "I am not so devilishly

difference with women, do you think? Isn't it rather a p

ot that. I don't think I have. I don't seem to wa

e gold, light-filled streets towards the church now, and

em I should think it'

ry much and you get it, and have no end of fun. I don't want it and

brain-do enjoy everything tremendously. They have such a much wider field of desires, as you say; a

with that girl if you don't look out. Here we are at the church. T

ed on the chairs for a few minutes

y pulses were beating merrily. I was keenly alive. Morley was right in what he said. An artist is Nature's pet, and she has mixed all his blood wit

n burning spice, apparently, before one of the idols that stood

doing?" I said. "H

ills to chase away the

ze

any here?"

white foreign devils," she ret

aug

ind," I expostulated. "Is

up with a

weetly-her eyes were black lakes with fire moving in thei

in of the cheeks dimpled and the b

n her, and put up my hand gently to touch one. S

e others upstairs. Will you c

d we went on down the passage and then up th

horror, as we reached the small square land

n one corner. The windows were mere narrow horizontal slits close to the ceiling. In the centre, blocking up all the space, stood a high narrow chest. It looked very old, of blackened wood

ad, I would buy them if I could for my cousin Viola, I thought. Viola was exce

quickly. "I have a pair here ju

I like. Do you want to sell th

e wall and looked in hastily, fearfully, as if she thought that by w

blue stones and her own cream-hued skin, and the value of it in setting

er, going to the pile of scarlet

to rearrange them for me with Oriental politeness. I sat down, dra

ee," I said; "I have so

l portfolio of some of my sketches with the object of introducing the subject of her posing for me. I opened it and drew out the topmost sketch. It was the figure of a young Italian girl lying on a green

ace with her hands. Over any portion I could still see of it spread the Eastern's

prise. There was nothing in the picture which would

fingers before her face and looking at me with one eye through them. Then she made

aug

se 'things,' as you call them, are not only very much looked at, but also ad

ough her fingers with both

quickly shutting her fingers. "It

able girl. I have quantities of these portraits and sketches. Look here,

d up her and looked down at them with alar

as a dissenting minister's wife; and lowered her eye

sketches together and pus

"that I might have your picture, too;

r like that? I would die first." Her face had thickened all ov

er waist, drew her to me, and pressed my lips on the ridiculous little s

I said, laughing, as I released her. "What do you thin

ing her pliable body only

he admitted; "but it's

ad-not so wicked?"

rly," she retur

draw them would not let me kiss them-some of them," I added. "So, you see, it's a matt

nows. It is gone." She spread out her hands and waved them in the air with an e

ir. In life one must always take exactly what it offers, and neither refuse its goods nor ask for more,

ce for some seconds, mus

tkar-i-buccheesh,'" I

ned and made a rapid

e asked. "It sound

red. "This city has given you to me, has i

owards me as a flower swayed by the breeze, h

a devil," I said laugh

are an awful

evils," returned

enly before my vision-a face all white and g

band say to all this

l him quite different. He

gh me. Deceit of any kind specially repels me, and deceit

ctively, for she said next, in a pl

cruel, he beats

he lay in the cradle of m

Lee did beat his wife; moreover, the delicate, fragile, untouched beauty of the g

eeve with some trouble from one velvet-skinned arm and pushed it up before

! Look at t

it, then at

ur husband mak

ard in a rage with me,"

your arm,

sleeve back a little farther, and in it found a heavy gold bangle with

pressed into the flesh," I said, "that has marked it. That is about what his c

charm of her beauty. Her prudery, her deceit, her

w herself on her knees, clasping her a

t because he is better and stronger than she. Because he has great muscles, as you have, and could kill her, and because she can't

e moment when I had been drawn to her had go

ked her hands and put he

w I will come and take you for a walk. You must

e, but did not offer to mo

m, went down the stairs and through the pas

on the long twist of fair hair that lay upon his shoulders. The whole air was full of incense that rose in white clouds to the domed roof. I sat down near the door and listened while the priest intoned a Latin hymn. The figure of the young priest at the altar attract

these I got out a sheet of loose paper and made a sketch of the fair, long-haired priest, with the quain

some time I was sudde

hy, I thought you would be in the a

up from the sketch, "but I got put off someh

urst out

as offended you, has she? Do you know, I think that's where we ordinary people get ahead of fellows like you. You are too sensitive. We'

painting i

don't they?" he remarked after a moment, as

que, don't you

d the Briton stoutly.

d the portrait, slipped it into my portf

inner?" asked Morley.

But, now you mention it, perhaps I am. Do you

where you can have soup and bread," repl

nd saw that strange colour in it of the Alaskan sunset that I have never found in any other sky, a bright magenta, or deep h

other cloud, no other colour appeared anywhere in the sky. It was painted

ll ever shows this tone of colour. Pink, scarlet, rose, and all the shades of blood or flame

en fade, and softly disappear as