Королі та капуста
Masters of arts
Keogh,withhiscarefordetails,hadarrangedforhimselfaposewhichhecarriedoutwithfidelity.Hisrôlewasthatoffriendtothegreatartist,amanofaffairsandleisure.Thevisibleemblemofhispositionwasapocketcamera.
"Forbrandingthemanwhoownsit,"saidhe,"agenteeldilettantewithabankaccountandaneasyconscience,asteam-yachtain’tinitwithacamera.Youseeamandoingnothingbutloafingaroundmakingsnap-shots,andyouknowrightawayhereadsupwellin‘Bradstreet.’Younoticetheseoldmillionaireboys—soonastheygetthroughtakingeverythingelseinsighttheygototakingphotographs.Peoplearemoreimpressedbyakodakthantheyarebyatitleorafour-caratscarf-pin."SoKeoghstrolledblandlyaboutCoralio,snappingthesceneryandtheshrinkingseñoritas,whileWhiteposedconspicuouslyinthehigherregionsofart.
Twoweeksaftertheirarrival,theschemebegantobearfruit.Anaide-decampofthepresidentdrovetothehotelinadashingvictoria.ThepresidentdesiredthatSeñorWhitecometotheCasaMorenaforaninformalinterview.
Keoghgrippedhispipetightlybetweenhisteeth."Notacentlessthantenthousand,"hesaidtotheartist—"remembertheprice.Andingoldoritsequivalent—don’tlethimstickyouwiththisbargain-counterstufftheycallmoneyhere."
"Perhapsitisn’tthathewants,"saidWhite.
"Getout!"saidKeogh,withsplendidconfidence."Iknowwhathewants.
