How is that?
ROSALINE.
Beautiful. Hush!
REMBRANDT TEMPENNY.
Am I sufficiently impregnated with the Chinese sentiment?
ROSALINE.
I don"t know what you mean. Sh! Here she is.
(_Enter_ MRS. SYLVESTER _L_.)
MRS. SYLVESTER (_aside_).
A young woman--who is this?
ROSALINE.
Good morning, madam. Who do you wish to see?
MRS. SYLVESTER (_with a start_).
Can I be deceived? Is it possible you are the--ahem--the person I take you for?
ROSALINE.
I really don"t know who you take me for. My name is Rosaline, and I"m a model.
MRS. SYLVESTER.
I knew it! How dare you come here--how dare you? Two years ago I forbade you ever to enter my husband"s studio again.
ROSALINE.
I did not know it was your husband"s studio when I came. I am here to sit to a friend of his.
REMBRANDT TEMPENNY.
I"m the friend.
MRS. SYLVESTER (_to_ ROSALINE).
What did you say?
ROSALINE.
I did not speak.
MRS. SYLVESTER.
Now let me quite understand you. Do you mean to say that it was not Mr.
Sylvester who brought you here?
ROSALINE.
Certainly I do. I came to Mr.--
REMBRANDT TEMPENNY (_in terror aside to_ ROSALINE).
Mr. Brown.
MRS. SYLVESTER.
Who did you say? Who is Mr. Brown?
ROSALINE.
I did not say "Mr. Brown." A gentleman engaged me to sit to him, and told me to come here this morning at ten o"clock. He said he was a friend of Mr. Sylvester"s.
MRS. SYLVESTER.
Then you did know that this was Mr. Sylvester"s studio!
ROSALINE.
I did not. He said it belonged to a friend of his, but did not mention his name.
MRS. SYLVESTER (_impatiently_).
Whose name?
ROSALINE.
His friend"s name.
MRS. SYLVESTER (_pa.s.sionately_).
Who was this friend, girl? Who told you to come? Answer me.
ROSALINE.
Oh, that is very easy. I was engaged by Mr.--
REMBRANDT TEMPENNY (_aside to_ ROSALINE).