Page:Georges Eekhoud - Escal Vigor, a novel.djvu/57

Rh — "That?… Two young princes. The masters of one of my distant ancestors. They are about to be beheaded," he explained in a strange tone of raillery, to Claudie, who yawned before this painting almost like a lounger used to public executions.

"Poor children!" remarked the robustious girl. "They embrace each other like lovers."

"They loved each other well!" murmured Kehlmark, as though he were saying Amen! whilst he drew his companion away. As she naively called attention to the abundance of statues and of nude male figures among the pictures and marbles, he said, "Why yes, they are really the sort of things such as are to be found at Upperzyde and in other museums, you know! They serve after all to fill up the place! For lack of models I use them as copies." Kehlmark spoke these words with an indifferent tone, mimicking, one might well have suspected, the ignorant chatter of the uneducated folk he was piloting.

Was he laughing in his sleeve at his guests or, rather keeping watch and ward over himself?

In accordance with the custom of the village they had sat down to table at noon. 3