You have caught him at the moment when he sees an old gentleman
coming down the street and realizes that he has only got to sneak
up and stick his little knife--'
'My dear Polly, I welcome criticism, but this is more--'
Lady Wetherby stroked his coat-sleeve fondly.
'Never mind, Algie, I was only joking, precious. I thought the
picture was coming along fine when you showed it to me. I'll come
and take another look at it.'
Lord Wetherby shook his head.
'I should have a model. An artist cannot mirror Nature properly
without a model. I wish you would invite that child down here.'
'No, Algie, there are limits. I wouldn't have him within a mile
of the place.'
'Yet you keep Eustace.'
'Well, you made me engage Wrench. It's fifty-fifty. I wish you
wouldn't keep picking on Eustace, Algie dear. He does no harm. Mr
Sherriff and I were just saying how peaceable he is. He wouldn't
hurt--'
Claire came in.
'Polly,' she said, 'did you put that monkey of yours in the
garage? He's just bitten Dudley in the leg.'
Lord Wetherby uttered an exclamation.
'Now perhaps--'
'We went in just now to have a look at the car,' continued
Claire. 'Dudley wanted to show me the commutator on the exhaust-box
or the windscreen, or something, and he was just bending over
when Eustace jumped out from nowhere and pinned him.
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