They mustspread a blanket down there, and he would
throw the pictures out.
From the staffsquarters came the strains of a
gramophone. Lucky the Will was quite straightforward. He stackedthat against the
others, and ran back to the Corot nearest theflames.
The room was full of smoke now,and he felt rather
giddy.
She stopped in the middle of a song and closed the
piano.
Astream of stuff came out, and, picking the thing
up, he directedthat stream against the flames.
June pressed her clenched hands to her flat breast.
There wasnt one of the family withany sense of business, compared with Mr. On the
parquet floor he saw somecigarette ash. The young man shook his head, his eyes
looked distressed. He was roused from disquiet contemplation of the poplar
treesoutside by the words:Oh!
Itwas extinguished by fire engines from Reading,
and most of thevaluable pictures were saved.
If only shewould cry, and blurt everything
out!
And with rage in his heart Soames ran again at
thewall, and snatched at his other Gauguin.
If you chose theright moment, clear of strikes and
things, they ought to fetchmoney in a good sale.
Ive been expecting something of this sortever since
I heard he was back.
Soames waited uneasily in that very little room.
YOU dont know how hard it is for real artists.
We neednt bother him with that, Gradman; its out of
fashion. Should he run down and getanother of these things, all the way to the hall!
Wait for me, my dear, he said to the maid; Im strange here.
It would save some hours of fresh air for
her.
They mustspread a blanket down there, and he would
throw the pictures out. He had a dread of herwandering outside to-night, so near the
water. They had taken away the pickles;turned his bed down, laid his flannel
nightgown out. Come along, sir; when they begin to play therell be a propersmother.
Gradman looked up at the young mans face in the twilight.
Then she came and sat down on the other side of the
hearth. Wasthere nothing he could do to divert her attention?
She took him to his room, and left him
there.
It struck him here, she said; a slanting blow on
the right ofthe head. After he had done so a message came: Would he go to Mrs.
Through the open doorway hecould see that they had spread considerably. Im leaving
the lot to the Nation, he said.
Iremember the first shows in London of those
post-impressionists andearly Cubist chaps.