 conditions of their renewed intimacy was a radiant
knightliness to Diana, elevating her with a living image for worship: - he so
near once to being the absolute lord of her destinies! How to reward him, was
her sole dangerous thought. She prayed and strove that she might give him of her
best, to practically help him; and she had reason to suppose she could do it,
from the visible effect of her phrases. He glistened in repeating them; he had
fallen into the habit; before witnesses too; in the presence of Miss Paynham,
who had taken earnestly to the art of painting, and obtained her dear Mrs.
Warwick's promise of a few sittings for the sketch of a portrait, near the close
of the season. »A very daring thing to attempt,« Miss Paynham said, when he was
comparing her first outlines and the beautiful breathing features. »Even if one
gets the face, the lips will seem speechless, to those who know her.«
    »If they have no recollection,« said Dacier.
    »I mean, the endeavour should be to represent them at the moment of
speaking.«
    »Put it into the eyes.« He looked at the eyes.
    She looked at the mouth. »But it is the mouth, more than the eyes.«
    He looked at the face. »Where there is character, you have only to study it
to be sure of a likeness.«
    »That is the task, with one who utters jewels, Mr. Dacier.«
    »Bright wit, I fear, is above the powers of your art.«
    »Still I feel it could be done. See - now - that!«
    Diana's lips had opened to say: »Confess me a model model: I am dissected
while I sit for portrayal. I must be for a moment like the frog of the two
countrymen who were disputing as to the manner of his death, when he stretched
to yawn, upon which they agreed that he had defeated the truth for both of them.
I am not quite inanimate.«
    »Irish countrymen,« said Dacier.
    »The story adds, that blows were arrested; so confer the nationality as you
please.«
    Diana had often to divert him from a too intent perusal of her features with
sparkles and stories current or invented to serve the immediate purpose.
    Miss Paynham was Mrs. Warwick's guest for a fortnight, and observed them
together. She sometimes charitably laid down her pencil and left them, having
forgotten this or that. They were conversing of general
