admire him, and he interests me. He is almost the only man I know who
is really indifferent to opinion. And he has occasional moments of good
nature. But I don't wish him to be soft. If he were he would be like
everyone else."

"I must confess I find it very difficult to get on with him."

"He's a wonderful painter."

"No doubt--in his way."

"I think it a great mistake for any creative artist to be wonderful in
someone else's way," said Miss Van Tuyn.

"I only meant that his way is sometimes rather startling. And then
his subjects! Drugged women! Dram drinking men! And now it seems even
blackmailers."

"A blackmailer might have a wonderful face."

"Possibly. But it would be likely to have a disgusting expression."

"It might. On the other hand, I could imagine a blackmailer looking like
Chaliapine as Mephistopheles."

"I don't like distressing art," said Braybrooke, rather firmly. "And I
think there is too much of it nowadays."

"Anything is better than the merely nice. And you have far too much of
that in England. Men like Dick Garstin are a violent protest against