Белая птичка
Her Marriage, Her Clothes, Her Appetite, and an Inventory of Her Furniture
“Adangerouswoman,”Isaid,withashudder,andfelltoexaminingapaintingoverthemantel-shelf.Itwasaportraitofaman,andhadimpressedmefavourablybecauseitwasframed.
“Afriendofhers,”myguideinformedme,“butIneverseedhim.”
Iwouldhaveturnedawayfromit,hadnotaninscriptiononthepicturedrawnmenearer.Itwasinalady’shandwriting,andthesewerethewords:“Fancyportraitofourdearunknown.”Coulditbemeantforme?IcannottellyouhowinterestedIsuddenlybecame.
Itrepresentedaveryfinelookingfellow,indeed,andnotadaymorethanthirty.
“Afriendofhers,ma’am,didyousay?”Iaskedquiteshakily.“Howdoyouknowthat,ifyouhaveneverseenhim?”
“Whenmasterwaspaintingofit,”shesaid,“inthestudio,heusedtocomerunninginheretosaytohersuchlikeas,’Whatcolourwouldyoumakehiseyes?’”
“Andherreply,ma’am?”Iaskedeagerly.
“Shesaid,’Beautifulblueeyes.’Andhesaid,’Youwouldn’tmakeitahandsomeface,wouldyou?’andshesays,’Averyhandsomeface.’Andsayshe,’Middle-aged?’andsaysshe,’Twenty-nine.’AndImindhimsaying,’Alittlebaldonthetop?’andshesays,saysshe,’Notatall.’”
Thedear,gratefulgirl,nottomakemebaldonthetop.
“Ihaveseedherkissherhandtothatpicture,”saidthemaid.
FancyMarykissingherhandtome!Oh,theprettylove!
Pooh!
Iwasstaringatthepicture,cogitatingwhatinsultingmessageIcouldwriteonit,whenIheardthewoman’svoiceagain
