say, Miss Lawson? Cis is painting that picture for a smoking-room, and
in the smoking-room we like pretty girls.'

He thought that they ought to see a little more of the lady's face;
and he did not approve of the drapery. Cissy argued that she could not
alter Etty's composition; she reproved him for his facetiousness, and
was visibly annoyed at the glances he bestowed on Mildred. A moment
after Ralph appeared.

'Don't let me disturb you,' he said, 'I did not know where you were,
Miss Lawson, that was all. I thought you might like me to see how
you're getting on.'

Ralph and Mildred walked through two galleries in silence. Elsie had
gone out to lunch with Walter; the old lady with the grey ringlets,
who copied Gainsborough's 'Watering Place,' was downstairs having a
cup of coffee and a roll; the cripple leaned on his crutch, and
compared his drawing of Mrs. Siddons's nose with Gainsborough's. Ralph
waited till he hopped away, and Mildred was grateful to him for the
delay; she did not care for her neighbours to see what work her master
did on her picture.

'You've got the background wrong,' he said, taking off a yellowish
grey with the knife. 'The cloud in the left-hand corner is the deepest
dark you have in the picture,' and he prepared a tone. 'What a lovely
quality Reynolds has got into the sky! ... This face is not
sufficiently foreshortened. Too long from the nose to the chin,' he
said, taking off an eighth of an inch. Then the mouth had to be
raised. Mildred watched, nervous with apprehension lest Elsie or the
old lady or the cripple should return and interrupt him.