The Washington times., 1913-04-01
CHAPTER v (Continued).

IL see you know about her al
ready" said he. "An the better.
I'm not a relative in any
strict sense he went on. "A sort
Of half-nephew by marriage, perhaps
We're all so mixed up that 1t Is diff
cult to keep such matters straight.
However, it's close enough family
connection to justify me in going rather
outside of the strict duties of a medi-
cal practitioner"
JUSTIFY 1 questioned.
why, in the MAN, he said. Il hold
that a doctor should be a patient to
his patients and nothing else. The re-
| lation, If extended beyond that, is liable
to abuse. But Miss Meredith's case is
peculiar. She is an old lady-frail. ner-
vous-quite alone in the world. for all
her relatives have been numerous. She's
entirely unable to meet the various bust
ness and social demands that are made
on person Of her wealth and position.
| i am able to get on with her better than
| most people, and so It has happened
devoted myself exclusively to her af-
| fairs
He said 1t all in very straightfor-
ward fashion. His frankness seemed
cenary motive in what he had done, for
certainly he was speaking of her with
no pretense of affection.
But after all he was inclined to say:
why not?' The only thing that l
didn't like was his telling ii to me. He
made such a parade of candor that
distrusted little.
He laughed. IL 1 could have spoken
my thoughts aloud he could have read
themsmore aeeurateiy.
You're wondering why 1 should tell
you all this" he said. We'll, it's
necessary preliminary TO some questions
I'm going to ask. You know who II
was that Mr.. jeffrey painted the por-
Miss Meredith's niece. 1 think he
said
He nodded And did Mr. Jeffrey in
form you also that ne accepted Miss
Meredith's commission without seeing
her-that he has, in fact, never seen
her?"
Yes" said l. He told me that, too"
1t must have struck him as a very
curious arrangement, the doctor went
on. Really. 1t was by my advice that
the thing was done that way. As L
said, Miss Meredith is a very nervous
woman, and the death of her niece
seems to have caused her a serious
shock. They were IN Paris together
three years ago when the girl died.
That would accentuate the shock, of
course" said /. being alone with her
in foreign country. They were travel
Ing about together, l suppose?
mo. as matter of fact" said the
doctor. they were living in Paris Miss
Meredith prefers the Continent to this
country. and Claire was. l believe,
studying art
I couldn't help the catch in my breath
that came just then. was quick
tonishment that was on my lips. l eX-
perienced for a moment the same sem
sation that must have been Jeffrey's
constant companion during the last two
months. and didn't wonder at the look
of panic that sometimes came into his
eyes The doctor wasn't looking at me.
and I was glad of II.
That was three years ago, you say
] tried TO make the question sound cas-
uaI enough. but / don't know how well
] succeeded.
He nodded.
she died of smallpox during the cpl
demic of that year." he said. Miss
Meredith never got over the shock or
It. The girl is very constantly IN her
thoughts, and she wanted a portrait
that should be a more living memoriai
than the one photograph which she
nossessed. But YOU will understand, l
think, that II was impossible, IN her
condition. 10 talk calmly about the glri
10 a stranger-to tell him in detail facts
about her appearance snch as MI: &c.
rey wanted So ] had to undertaHe ~
convey them to him at second hand. IL
Is really marvellous that. under such
bandicap he succeeded so well
..He told me that Miss Meredi'h haa
apparently found it satisfactory sai' l.
The doctor laughed. g., r,ord
Satisfactory isn't precisely me wotu
7 shouId use said he. 1T doesn't cover
The ground at all. In fact. the porIisis
was SO vivid and poignant rchiiii"el '
of Claire herself that the siGht OF H. az,
day when she came here TO the. ,'arS stun,y
upset her dreadfully. She LOOKS ior ~" a
III
,,Ctr,I,ra of anxiety and dread. In rae.
he memory Of il has possesseu
tn,apfnation ever since in a way that
ns her nhvsician, am forced I" resre,.
The portrait. then. saln l., ,r,nn
like the original than me
from which II was palhteu en- O..
The doctor nodeo'
said he. ir q long. slow
breath TO steady rIyseIf; bul "He i',sif.
had done that man; mahassel well 70 the WAYS IF
r.cims are past frding out. Mr.. Jel-
fray's genius as portrait paine
seems to lie I'm getting beneath the SUI
faces of things and prese'ltihs '"e "
ing reality ,,.i,b . living face.
u.t,irb ie often impressive enough TO tue
ordinary eye of the character pene eti
II n is not so wonderful that ne snou'u
do II. to a less extent. OF course, WIN d
rnomentary record of face as IL ap-
pears in a photograph. It's sreat tes'
of his powers. though, and wondef-
f,II courpliment to them.
The doctor nodded thoughtfully. and
rhere was a little silence before he
spoke again.
time. didn't he! "
"Oh, wears ago." said ]. Long before
knew him. OF course. like every
painter he goes back occasionally for
visits"
u SUPPOSE he's been back there with
in the last four or five years.
oh! yss," said /