"But you're not going to let them in! You have no portrait of me to be
at work upon!"

"My dear fellow, I've dozens of half-finished studies, any one of which
will answer the purpose. _Voilà_! here is the very thing."

And snatching up a canvas that had been standing till now with its face
to the wall, he flourished it triumphantly before my eyes, and placed it
on the easel.

"Heavens and earth!" I exclaimed, "that's a copy of the Titian in the
Louvre--the 'Young Man with the Glove!'"

"What of that? Our Tapottes will never find out the difference. By the
way, I told them you were a great English Milord, so please keep up the
character."

"I will try to do credit to the peerage."

"And if you would not mind throwing in a word of English every now and
then ... a little Goddam, for instance.. . Eh?"

I laughed and shook my head.

"I will pose for you as Milord with all the pleasure in life," I said;
"only I cannot undertake to pose for the traditional Milord of the
Bouffes Parisiens! However, I will speak some English, and, if you like,
I'll know no French."

"No, no--_diable_! you must know a little, or I can't exchange a word