The Tiger Lily Part 3

"Not the first time that's been down, cabby. Hand 'em off."

A minute later, Daniel Jaggs, familiarly known in art circles as "The Emperor," and by visitors to the Royal Academy from his n.o.ble face, which had appeared over the bodies of n.o.ble Romans and heroes of great variety, stood on the pavement with an easel under one arm, a large blank canvas under the other, and a flat j.a.panned box of oil colours and case of brushes held half hidden by beard, beneath his chin.

He walked up to the door of the great mansion, whose window-sills and portico were gay with fresh flowers, and gave a vigorous tug at the bell.

The double doors flew open almost directly, and "The Emperor" was faced by a portly butler, who was flanked by a couple of men in livery.

"Oh! the painters traps," said the former. "Look here, my good fellow; you should have rung the other bell. Step inside."

"The Emperor" obeyed, and, leaving the visitor waiting in the handsome hall, in company with the footman and under-butler, who looked rather superciliously at the well-worn garments of the artist's model, the out-of-livery servant walked slowly up the broad staircase to the drawing-room, and as slowly returned, to stand beckoning.

"You are to bring them up yourself," he said haughtily.

Daniel Jaggs placed his hat upon one of the crest-blazoned hall chairs, loaded himself well with the artistic impedimenta, and then went forward to the foot of the stairs up which the butler was leading the way, when, hearing a sound, he turned sharply.

"Here! Hi!" he cried loudly; "what are you going to do with that 'at?"

For one of the footmen was putting it out of sight, disgusted with the appearance of the dirty lining.

"Hus.h.!.+ Recollect where you are," whispered the butler. "Her ladys.h.i.+p will hear."

"But that's my best 'at," grumbled the model, and then he subsided into silence as he was ushered into a magnificently furnished room; the door was closed behind him, and he stood staring round, thinking of backgrounds, when there was the rustling of silk, and "The Emperor" was dazzled, staring, as he told himself, at the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life.

Valentina, Contessa Dellatoria, was worthy of the man's admiration as she stood there with her dark eyes half veiled by their long lashes, in all the proud matured beauty of a woman of thirty, who could command every resource of jewel and robe to heighten the charms with which nature had liberally endowed her. She was beautiful; she knew it; and at those moments, eager with antic.i.p.ations which had heightened the colour in her creamy cheeks, and the l.u.s.tre in her eyes, she stood ready to be amused as she thoroughly grasped the meaning of the man's astonished gaze.

"You have brought those from Mr. Dale, have you not?" she said at last, in a rich, soft voice.

"Yes, my lady. I 'ave, my lady. The heasel and canvas, my lady."

"Perhaps you had better bring them into this room."

"Yes, my lady--of course, my lady," said the model eagerly, as he blundered after the Contessa, "The Emperor's" rather shambling movements, being due to a general looseness of joint, in no wise according with the majesty of his head and face.

"Yes; about there. That will do; they are sure to be moved."

"Oh yes, my lady, on account of the light. Mr. Dale's very partickler."

"Indeed? Will he be here soon?"

"Direc'ly, I should say, my lady. He bordered me to bring on his traps."

"From his studio?" said the lady, sinking into a chair, and taking a purse from a little basket on a table.

"The Emperor's" eyesight was very good, and the movement suggested pleasant things. The lady, too, seemed disposed to question him, and he winked to himself mentally, as he glanced at the beautiful face before him, thought of his employer's youth and good looks, and then had sundry other thoughts, such as might occur to a man of a very ordinary world.

But his hands were not idle; they were as busy as his thoughts, and he spread the legs of the easel, and altered the position of the pegs ready for the canvas.

"Will you take this--for your trouble?" came in that soft, rich, thrilling voice.

"Oh no--thank you, my lady--that ain't necessary," said the man hastily, as his fingers closed over the coin extended with a smile by fingers glittering with jewels.--"A suv, by jingo," he added to himself.

"Are you Mr. Dale's servant?"

"No, ma'am--my lady. Oh, dear, no. An old friend--that is, you know, I sit for him--and stand. I'm in a many of his pictures."

"Oh, I see. He takes your portrait?"

"Well, no, my lady; portraits is quite another line. I meant for his gennery pictures."

"_Genre_?"

"Yes, my lady. I was standing for Crackticus that day when you and his lords.h.i.+p come to the studio."

"Indeed? I did not see you."

"No, my lady. I had to go into the next room. You see I was a hancient Briton, and not sootable for or'nary society 'cept in a picture.--I think that'll do, my lady. He'll alter it to his taste."

"Yes, but--er--does Mr. Dale paint many portraits of ladies?" said the Contessa, detaining the model as he made as if to depart.

"Oh no, my lady. I never knew him do such a thing afore. He never works away from his studio, and he went on a deal about having to come here--er--that is--of course, he did not know," added the man hastily.

The Contessa smiled.

"But he has painted the human countenance a great deal? I mean the faces of ladies. There were several of nymphs in his Academy picture this year--beautiful women."

"The Emperor" smiled and shook his head.

"On'y or'nary models, my lady. He made 'em look beautiful. That's art, my lady."

"Then he had sitters for that picture?" she asked, rather eagerly.

"Oh yes, my lady; but Lor' bless you! it isn't much you'd think of them.

He's a doing a picture now--a tayblow about Juno making a discovery over something. Her good man wasn't quite what he ought to have been, my lady, and she's in a reg'lar rage."

"Indeed?"

"Yes, my lady; and he tried all the reg'lar lady models--spent no end on 'em, but they none of 'em wouldn't do."

"Not beautiful enough?"

"He didn't think so, my lady, though, as I told him, it was too much to expeck to get one as was perf.e.c.k. You see in art, to make our best studies, we has to do a deal of patching."

"Painting the picture over and over again?"

"Your ladys.h.i.+p does not understand. It's like this: many of our best tayblows of G.o.ddesses and nymphs is made up. One model does for the face, another for the arms and hands, another for busties and--I beg your ladys.h.i.+p's pardon; I was only talking art."

"I understand. I take a great deal of interest in the subject."

"Thankye, my lady. I told Mr. Dale as it was expecting too much to get a perf.e.c.k woman for a model, for there wasn't such a thing in nature.