Then
everything outside his immediate surroundings would fade from his
mind, and he would be conscious only of what was nearest to him, the
faint scent of ylang-ylang that hovered round the beautiful woman,
her smooth, caressing fingers, and the low sound of her deep,
regular breathing.
"You are so handsome," she whispered in his ear on one such
occasion, and bending over him to kiss him; "do you know, I shall
draw your portrait."
"Can you draw?" he asked, raising himself on his elbow.
"I hardly know whether I ought to say yes," she returned, with an
arch, self-conscious smile that belied the humility of her tone.
"But you shall see."
"Very well," said he, "and while you are drawing my portrait I shall
draw yours."
"Bravo!" she cried, and wanted to go home at once, so that they
might begin.
As was his custom, Wilhelm had all that was needful in his big
trunk, and could supply Pilar with materials. The next afternoon
they set to work. They established themselves in the middle of a
great meadow, committing thereby an extreme act of trespass, and
making their way to it over a ditch, a low wall, and through a
blackberry hedge. Here no prying eye would annoy them, their sole
and most discreet spectator being Fido, and he was generally asleep.
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