embarrassment; he did not mean to be impertinent.

And she did.

Blum, of the Geological Department--Herr Blum in his own country--
came up and honestly rejoiced, and at end of an interminable pipe
did purchase a little Breton bit that I hated to see go--it was one
of the things that gave the place its air; but Blum had a large
family undergoing education at Heidelberg, and exclaimed, to
Armour's keenest anguish, that on this account he could not more do.

Altogether, during the months of August and September, persons
resident in Simla drawing their income from Her Majesty, bought from
the eccentric young artist from nowhere, living on Summer Hill,
canvases and little wooden panels to the extent of two hundred and
fifty rupees. Lady Pilkey had asked him to lunch--she might well!
and he had appeared at three garden-parties and a picnic. It was
not enough.

It was not enough, and yet it was, in a manner, too much. Pitiful
as it was in substance, it had an extraordinary personal effect.
Armour suddenly began to turn himself out well--his apparel was of
smarter cut than mine, and his neckties in better taste. Little
elegances appeared in the studio--he offered you Scotch in a
Venetian decanter and Melachrinos from a chased silver box. The
farouche element faded out of his speech; his ideas remained as
fresh and as simple as ever, but he gave them a form, bless me! that
might have been used at the Club. He worked as hard as ever, but
more variously; he tried his hand at several new things. He said he
was feeling about for something that would really make his