‘I live for my Art. A true artist must’; and it sounded silly. A ‘true artist’ would never have said it, I felt sure.
She was talking to Guy when she said that, and Guy was very funny with her. He looked serious too, and said:
‘Really. How interesting. I suppose it is awfully hard work to be a true artist.’
And she answered in a sombre sort of way:
‘A crucifixion at times, but one cannot escape one’s destiny.’
‘Oh no; one can’t,’ agreed Guy. ‘Awfully hard luck, isn’t it?’
Guy saw me watching them and his eyes twinkled. He had a trick of raising one eyebrow, the left, when he was amused.
Mrs. Connell said to Hugo:
‘Paulina is so sensitive—the artistic temperament all through. Modern life is very hard for the artist.’
Hugo murmured something sympathetic. He wanted to talk to Paulina.