Three Nights With The Baron

led with the urgent need to protect him. If the Baron slighted him

y her appearance. At first, I thought she was a great beauty, but I realized as the evening progressed that she

It was an illusion, but a clever one. Her mouth was too large, her eyes too small and her

e, sir, and we are honored to have you with us. Nicole, this is Monsieur Kendal Collison and h

. My dear Monsieur and Mademoiselle C

iendly, I thought, and if she made me feel gauche and unattractive,

we should go to din

and gave Nocole his ar

s formality, and I found proximity to

was shrinking from him and disliked l

ur Colison," he said, "we have no lady for you. Well, y

~~

d been on the previous night, but not nearly so

ure, music, or painting. I have always believed in absolute honesty regarding them." he gasped and continued, "A work of art must please me, I do not like it because I am

it if he were to discover me, a woman, had painted his portrait

Baron," said Nicole "I

t be wiser to take note of the name of the artist because, my d

e and my father. "You will find me a complete ignoramus. One virtue I

he Baron. "Ah, if only eve

here is a saying in my country that "Good taste is what I have.

, fixing me with his cold gray eyes. "Answer that

ollowing morning. He was anxious to get it completed quickly a

cannot be hur

ghter with you," retorted the Baron. "Sh

o me." said my father. "I

e or she can rely. Don't you agree, Nic

d that it wa

d it was n

ne should be self-relia

on Engheim. "I saw it when I was in Bavaria. It was what decided me t

d his way and planned to go on doing just that. He was knowledgeable about art and had a real feeling for it, it would be almost impossible to deceive him, I was

e room with the painted ceiling, where liqueurs

nd, you will conduct him to his room. Mademoiselle Collison, I see that y

alone with the Baron and Nocloe. The Baron remarked, "Tomorrow,

y kind. He has shown m

trand has not the feeling for the c

it? He, like the rest of

er affectionately. I thought he mus

y ancestor, one of the first the Normans built in France. Never make the mistake of thinking

en the savage Norsemen came into their longs

iselle Collison cor

rward such a good case against

ght. So that