Stephen shook his head. Pat’s library did not appeal to his more literary taste, and he announced himself content without further employment.
“Oh, well then, talk! It won’t disturb me,” said Pixie easily; “I’ll just listen or not, according as it’s interesting. I’m accustomed to it with Bridgie. If you want to set her tongue going, just sit down and begin to write...”
Stephen, however, had no intention of taking advantage of the permission. He was abundantly content to sit in his comfortable chair, enjoy his novel surroundings (how very cheerful and attractive a clean kitchen could be!) smoke his cigarette, and watch Pixie scribbling at fever pace over innumerable pages of notepaper. There were frequent snatches of conversation, but invariably it was Pixie herself who led the way.
“D’you illustrate your letters when you write them?” she asked at one time. “I always do! Realistic, you know, and saves time. At this present moment—” she drew back from the table, screwing up one eye, and holding aloft her pen in truly professional fashion—“I’m drawing You!”
“May I see?”
“You may. ... It’s not quite right about the chair legs, they get so mixed up. Perspective never was my strong point,” said Pixie, holding out a sheet and pointing to the masterpiece in question with the end of her pen. “There!”
Stephen looked and beheld a rough drawing of a preternaturally thin man, with preternatural large eyes, holding a cigarette in a hand joined to an arm which had evidently suffered severe dislocation. It was the type of drawing affected by schoolboys and girls, yet it had a distinct cleverness of its own. Despite the cart-wheel eyes and the skeleton frame there was a resemblance—there was more than a resemblance, it was actually like, and Stephen acclaimed the fact by a shout of laughter.
“I say! Could I have it? It’s uncommonly good!”
Pixie shook her head.
“It’s for Bridgie.—Ye notice the mouth? Did you know it twisted when you thought? Aren’t they nice, narrow boots? I’ll do one for you another day. ... Turn over the page! There’s another of Pat, as he will look at the supper to-night.”