those pictures are faked。〃
Adela Pingsford said nothing； but led the way to her
garden。 It was normally a fair…sized garden； but it
looked small in comparison with the ox； a huge mottled
brute； dull red about the head and shoulders； passing to
dirty white on the flanks and hind…quarters； with shaggy
ears and large blood…shot eyes。 It bore about as much
resemblance to the dainty paddock heifers that Eshley was
accustomed to paint as the chief of a Kurdish nomad clan
would to a Japanese tea…shop girl。 Eshley stood very
near the gate while he studied the animal's appearance
and demeanour。 Adela Pingsford continued to say nothing。
〃It's eating a chrysanthemum；〃 said Eshley at last；
when the silence had become unbearable。
〃How observant you are；〃 said Adela bitterly。 〃You
seem to notice everything。 As a matter of fact； it has
got six chrysanthemums in its mouth at the present
moment。〃
The necessity for doing something was becoming
imperative。 Eshley took a step or two in the direction
of the animal； clapped his hands； and made noises of the
〃Hish〃 and 〃Shoo〃 variety。 If the ox heard them it gave
no outward indication of the fact。
〃If any hens should ever stray into my garden；〃 said
Adela； 〃I should certainly send for you to frighten them
out。 You 'shoo' beautifully。 Meanwhile； do you mind
trying to drive that ox away？ That is a MADEMOISELLE
LOUISE BICHOT that he's begun on now；〃 she added in icy
calm； as a glowing orange head was crushed into the huge
munching mouth。
〃Since you have been so frank about the variety of
the chrysanthemum；〃 said Eshley； 〃I don't mind telling
you that this is an Ayrshire ox。〃
The icy calm broke down； Adela Pingsford used
language that sent the artist instinctively a few feet
nearer to the ox。 He picked up a pea…stick and flung it
with some determination against the animal's mottled
flanks。 The operation of mashing MADEMOISELLE LOUISE
BICHOT into a petal salad was suspended for a long
moment； while the ox gazed with concentrated inquiry at
the stick…thrower。 Adela gazed with equal concentration
and more obvious hostility at the same focus。 As the
beast neither lowered its head nor stamped its feet
Eshley ventured on another javelin exercise with another
pea…stick。 The ox seemed to realise at once that it was
to go； it gave a hurried final pluck at the bed where the
chrysanthemums had been； and strode swiftly up the
garden。 Eshley ran to head it towards the gate； but only
succeeded in quickening its pace from a walk to a
lumbering trot。 With an air of inquiry； but with no real
hesitation； it crossed the tiny strip of turf that the
charitable called the croquet lawn； and pushed its way
through the open French window into the morning…room。
Some chrysanthemums and other autumn herbage stood about
the room in vases； and the animal resumed its browsing
operations； all the same； Eshley fancied that the
beginnings of a hunted look had come into its eyes； a
look that counselled respect。 He discontinued his
attempt to interfere with its choice of surroundings。
〃Mr。 Eshley；〃 said Adela in a shaking voice； 〃I
asked you to drive that beast out of my garden； but I did
not ask you to drive it into my house。 If I must have it
anywhere on the premises I prefer the garden to the
morning…room。〃
〃Cattle drives are not in my line；〃 said Eshley； 〃if
I remember I told you so at the outset。〃 〃I quite
agree；〃 retorted the lady； 〃painting pretty pictures of
pretty little cows is what you're suited for。 Perhaps
you'd like to do a nice sketch of that ox making itself
at home in my morning…room？〃
This time it seemed as if the worm had turned；
Eshley began striding away。
〃Where are you going？〃 screamed Adela。
〃To fetch implements；〃 was the answer。
〃Implements？ I won't have you use a lasso。 The
room will be wrecked if there's a struggle。〃
But the artist marched out of the garden。 In a
couple of minutes he returned； laden with easel；
sketching…stool； and painting materials。
〃Do you mean to say that you're going to sit quietly
down and paint that brute while it's destroying my
morning…room？〃 gasped Adela。
〃It was your suggestion；〃 said Eshley； setting his
canvas in position。
〃I forbid it； I absolutely forbid it！〃 stormed
Adela。
〃I don't see what standing you have in the matter；〃
said the artist； 〃you can hardly pretend that it's your
ox； even by adoption。〃
〃You seem to forget that it's in my morning…room；
eating my flowers；〃 came the raging retort。
〃You seem to forget that the cook has neuralgia；〃
said Eshley； 〃she may be just dozing off into a merciful
sleep and your outcry will waken her。 Consideration for
others should be the guiding principle of people in our
station of life。〃
〃The man is mad！〃 exclaimed Adela tragically。 A
moment later it was Adela herself who appeared to go mad。
The ox had finished the vase…flowers and the cover of
〃Israel Kalisch；〃 and appeared to be thinking of leaving
its rather restricted quarters。 Eshley noticed its
restlessness and promptly flung it some bunches of
Virginia creeper leaves as an inducement to continue the
sitting。
〃I forget how the proverb runs；〃 he observed； of
something about 'better a dinner of herbs than a stalled
ox where hate is。' We seem to have all the ingredients
for the proverb ready to hand。〃
〃I shall go to the Public Library and get them to
telephone for the police；〃 announced Adela； and； raging
audibly； she departed。
Some minutes later the ox； awakening probably to the
suspicion that oil cake and chopped mangold was waiting
for it in some appointed byre； stepped with much
precaution out of the morning…room； stared with grave
inquiry at the no longer obtrusive and pea…stick…throwing
human； and then lumbered heavily but swiftly out of the
garden。 Eshley packed up his tools and followed the
animal's example and 〃Larkdene〃 was left to neuralgia and
the cook。
The episode was the turning…point in Eshley's
artistic career。 His remarkable picture； 〃Ox in a
morning…room； late autumn；〃 was one of the sensations and
successes of the next Paris Salon； and when it was
subsequently exhibited at Munich it was bought by the
Bavarian Government； in the teeth of the spirited bidding
of three meat…extract firms。 From that moment his
success was continuous and assured； and the Royal Academy
was thankful； two years later； to give a conspicuous
position on its walls to his large canvas 〃Barbary Apes
Wrecking a Boudoir。〃
Eshley presented Adela Pingsford with a new copy of
〃Israel Kalisch；〃 and a couple of finely flowering plants
of MADAME ADNRE BLUSSET； but nothing in the nature of a
real reconciliation has taken place between them。
THE STORY…TELLER
IT was a hot afternoon； and the railway carriage was
correspondingly sultry； and the next stop was at
Templecombe； nearly an hour ahead。 The occupants of the
carriage were a small girl； and a smaller girl； and a
small boy。 An aunt belonging to the children occupied
one corner seat； and the further corner seat on the
opposite side was occupied by a bachelor who was a
stranger to their party； but the small girls and the
small boy emphatically occupied the compartment。 Both
the aunt and the children were conversational in a
limited； persistent way； reminding one of the attentions
of a housefly that refuses to be discouraged。 Most of
the aunt's remarks seemed to begin with 〃Don't；〃 and
nearly all of the children's remarks began with 〃Why？〃
The bachelor said nothing out loud。 〃Don't； Cyril；
don't；〃 exclaimed the aunt； as the small boy began
smacking the cushions of the seat； producing a cloud of
dust at each blow。
〃Come and look out of the window；〃 she added。
The child moved reluctantly to the window。 〃Why are
those sheep being driven out of that field？〃 he asked。
〃I expect they are being driven to another field
where there is more grass；〃 said the aunt weakly。
〃But there is lots of grass in that field；〃
protested the boy； 〃there's nothing else but grass there。
Aunt； there's lots of grass in that field。〃
〃Perhaps the grass in the other field is better；〃
suggested the aunt fatuously。
〃Why is it better？〃 came the swift； inevitable
question。
〃Oh； look at those cows！〃 exclaimed the aunt。
Nearly every field along the line had contained cows or
bullocks； but she spoke as though she were drawing
attention to a rarity。
〃Why is the grass in the other field better？〃
persisted Cyril。
The frown on the bachelor's face was deepening to a
scowl。 He was a hard； unsympathetic man； the aunt
decided in her mind。 She was utterly unable to come to
any satisfactory decision about the grass in the other
field。
The smaller girl created a diversion by beginning to
recite 〃On the Road to Mandalay。〃 She only knew the
first line； but she put her limited knowledge to the
fullest possible use。 She repeated the line over and
over again in a dreamy but resolute and very audible
voice； it seemed to the bachelor as though some one had
had a bet with her that she could not repeat the line
aloud two thousand times without stopping。 Whoever it
was who had made the wager was likely to lose his bet。
〃Come over here and listen to a story；〃 said the
aunt； when the bachelor had looked twice at her and once
at the communication cord。
The children moved listlessly towards the aunt's end
of the carriage。 Evidently her reputation as a story…
teller did not rank high in their estimation。
In a low； confidential voice； interrupted at
frequent intervals by loud； petulant questionings from
h