"What is it?" I said, enquiringly.

"Would you--" and she hesitated.

"Continue: command me."

"Could you take off your collar?"

"I think, perhaps, I could," I said, looking up into her serious
face. "I am not aware that it is an absolute fixture!"

She laughed, but she was seldom chaffed out of a reply.

"It might have been in one with the shirt!" she said.

"Far-seeing intuitiveness! I admit it might; but fortunately in this
case it's not. Then you'll excuse me if I take off my coat?"

"Yes, I want you to--coat, collar, and tie; so that I can sketch
your neck down to the base of the throat."

"Ah!" I said, drawing off my coat, "I was wondering how you were
going to fix up Hyacinthus with a lavender tie!"

She deigned no answer to that, and sat down just in front of me. A
piece of plain drawing paper was put upon the easel before the
canvas.

"Will you raise your head more? and throw your eyes up? higher,
above my head!"