FRANK D. ASHBURN.
Inspiration
The smoking-room gave a terrific lurch. As if the motion had been a signal, Carlos Bentley abruptly broke off his sentence, at the same time removing his hand from the arm of his companion’s chair. Although the big steamer recovered almost immediately from the unexpected blow, Carlos continued to remain silent, his gaze wandering uncertainly around the comfortable room. But he did not notice particularly the brown sleekness of the leather chairs nor the subtle masculinity of the lighting. He was wondering whether he had not again let his tongue run away with his good taste in allowing it to run on over the history of his past two weeks to this gentleman to whom he had introduced himself. That was one of Carlos’ bête-noirs—a cheerful frankness and lack of reserve that made him communicate things he wished later he had kept to himself. But after all the fellow had looked lonely and— A polite question which interrupted his train of thought finished by driving the self-reproaches from his mind. He answered the question at some length.
“Oh, yes! We spent six months in Paris. I got to know the place quite well—well enough to get tired of it. I’m looking forward to New York as a change. If it hadn’t been for my wife, I’d have come back before, but she insisted on our staying—for my own good, she said. You see, I went over to study art—portraits mainly. Spent hours every day looking at pictures and trying to copy them.”
“Do you plan to take up art as a profession?” asked his companion, knocking the ashes from his pipe. He was an elderly man who had an air of demanding confidences with a view of solving any difficulties connected with them from the depths of a thoughtful urbanity.
Carlos hesitated a moment.
“Yes,” he said finally, “I expect to. That’s my ultimate aim. But, of course, after all this studying I’ll want a bit of a rest—say a month or so. Then I’ll be ready to get down to work.”
The other nodded a thoughtful assent. Then—
“You’ll pardon the remark, but—you have an income, I take it.”