Nevertheless, he had sufficient of the artist soul to resent the fact
that Mrs. Porter was standing a great deal too close to the masterpiece
to get its full value.
"You want to stand back a little," he suggested over the rail.
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.
Pages:
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28