Page:Jepson--Pollyooly.djvu/311

 bear him, to Chelsea, to Hilary Vance's studio, and found him regarding his brushes with the gloomy dislike of a man who is about to get to congenial work. He asked him if he remembered the Esmeralda, the charming creature who had called on him to ask for the address of Pollyooly.

Remember her?… Hilary Vance protested that he did nothing but remember her!… He dreamed of her!… He had been to see her dance fourteen times!… It was the desire of his heart to paint her!… It would mean undying fame!… She would be the inspiration of a lifetime!

The Honorable John Ruffin let him talk about her. He talked about her himself. And then he insinuated into his discourse, deftly and without emphasis, the story of her impassioned persecution by Señor Diego Perez. Hilary Vance flamed and flared. His chief desire seemed to be to know whether the Honorable John Ruffin called himself a man. He reiterated the question till the Honorable John Ruffin lost count of the reiterations. When lack of breath reduced the chivalrous artist to a passing silence, he