broke the silence:

"Do you like paintings?"

"Altar-pieces? Oh, I don't know."

"Yes, or other pictures, landscapes for instance?"

"Do people paint those too? Of course they do, I know that very well."

"You are laughing at me?"

"I? Oh yes, one of us is doing that"

"But aren't you a student?"

"Student? Why should I be? No, I am nothing."

"But you must be something. You must do something?"

"But why?"

"Why, because--everybody does something!"

"Are you doing something?"

"Oh well, but you are not a lady."

"No, heaven be praised."