his living by painting views of Vesuvius in eruption on the little boxes
they sell at Sorrento."

"Moral: don't fall in love with a buxom Roman model," said Roderick. "I
'm much obliged to you for your story, but I don't mean to fall in love
with any one."

Gloriani had possessed himself of the photograph again, and was looking
at it curiously. "It 's a happy bit of youth," he said. "But you can't
keep it up--you can't keep it up!"

The two sculptors pursued their discussion after dinner, in the
drawing-room. Rowland left them to have it out in a corner, where
Roderick's Eve stood over them in the shaded lamplight, in vague white
beauty, like the guardian angel of the young idealist. Singleton was
listening to Madame Grandoni, and Rowland took his place on the sofa,
near Miss Blanchard. They had a good deal of familiar, desultory talk.
Every now and then Madame Grandoni looked round at them. Miss Blanchard
at last asked Rowland certain questions about Roderick: who he was,
where he came from, whether it was true, as she had heard, that Rowland
had discovered him and brought him out at his own expense. Rowland
answered her questions; to the last he gave a vague affirmative.
Finally, after a pause, looking at him, "You 're very generous," Miss
Blanchard said. The declaration was made with a certain richness of
tone, but it brought to Rowland's sense neither delight nor confusion.
He had heard the words before; he suddenly remembered the grave
sincerity with which Miss Garland had uttered them as he strolled with
her in the woods the day of Roderick's picnic. They had pleased him
then; now he asked Miss Blanchard whether she would have some tea.