"Well, if you"re anxious to know, I"m an architect on a holiday, and I"m sketching any old thing I come across. I don"t pretend to be a painter, my youthful virtuoso, and that"s why I go wrong sometimes on colour. Do you know what an architect is?"
"No," said Paul, eagerly. "What is it?"
He had been baffled by the meaning of the word, which he had seen all his life, inscribed on a bra.s.s plate in the Bludston High Street: "E.
Thomson, Architect & Surveyor." It had seemed to him odd, cryptically fascinating.
The young man laughed and explained; Paul listened seriously. Another mystery was solved. He had often wondered how the bricklayers knew where to lay the bricks. He grasped the idea that they were but instruments carrying out the conception of the architect"s brain. "I"d like to be an architect," he said.
"Would you?" After a pause the young man continued: "Anyhow, you can earn a shilling. Just sit down there and let me make a sketch of you."
"What for?" asked Paul.
"Because you"re a picturesque person. Now, I suppose you"ll be asking me what"s the meaning of picturesque?"
"Nay," said Paul. "I know. Yo" see it in books. "Th" owd grey tower stood out picturesque against the crimson sky.""
"Hullo! you"re a literary gent," said the young man.
"Ay," replied Paul proudly. He was greatly attracted towards this new acquaintance, whom, by his speech and dress and ease of manner, he judged to belong to the same caste as his lost but ever-remembered G.o.ddess.
The young man picked up pencil and sketch-book and posed Paul at the end of the seat by the trestle table. "Now, then," said he, setting to work. "Head a little more that way. Capital. Don"t move. If you"re very quiet I"ll give you a shilling." Presently he asked, "What are you? If you hadn"t been a literary gent I"d have thought you might be a gipsy."
Paul flushed and started. "I"m not a gipsy."
"Steady, steady," exclaimed the artist. "I"ve just said you couldn"t be one. Italian? You don"t look English."
For the first time the idea of exotic parentage entered Paul"s head. He dallied for a moment or two with the thought. "I dunno what I am," he said romantically.
"Oh? What"s your father?" The young man motioned with his head toward the inn.
"Yon"s not my father," said Paul. "It"s only Barney Bill."
"Only Barney Bill?" echoed the other, amused. "Well, who is your father?"
"Dunno," said Paul.
"And your mother?"
"Dunno, either," said Paul, in a mysterious tone. "I dunno if my parents are living or dead. I think they"re living."
"That"s interesting. What are you doing with what"s-his-name Bill?"
"I"m just travelling wi" him to London."
"And what are you going to do in London?"
"I"ll see when I get there," said Paul.
"So you"re out for adventure?"
"Ay," said the boy, a gleam of the Vision dancing before his eyes.
"That"s it. I"m going on an adventure."
"There, keep like that," cried the artist. "Don"t stir. I do believe I"m getting you. Holy Moses, it will be great! If only I could catch the expression! There"s nothing like adventure, is there? The glorious uncertainty of it! To wake up in the morning and know that the unexpected is bound to happen during the day. Exciting, isn"t it?"
"Ay," said Paul, his face aglow.
The young man worked tense and quick at the luminous eyes. He broke a long silence by asking, "What"s your name?"
"Paul Kegworthy."
"Paul? That"s odd." In the sphere of life to which the ragged urchin belonged Toms and Bills and Jims were as thick as blackberries, but Pauls were rare.
"What"s odd?" said Paul.
"Your name. How did you get it? It"s uncommon."
"I suppose it is," said Paul. "I never thowt of it. I never knew anybody of that name afore."
Here was another sign and token of romantic origin suddenly revealed.
Paul felt the thrill of it. He resisted a temptation to ask his new friend whether it was an appellation generally reserved for princes.
"Look here, joking apart," said the artist, putting in the waves of the thick black hair, "are you really going to be dumped down in London to seek your fortune? Don"t you know anybody there?"
"No," said Paul.
"How are you going to live?"
Paul dived a hand into his breeches pocket and jingled coins. "I"ve got th" bra.s.s," said he.
"How much?"
"Three shillings and sevenpence-ha"penny," said Paul, with an opulent air. "And yo"r shilling will make it four and sevenpence-ha"penny."
"Good G.o.d!" said-the young man. He went on drawing for some time in silence. Then he said: "My brother is a painter--rather a swell--a Royal Academician. He would love to paint you. So would other fellows.
You could easily earn your living as a model--doing as a business, you know, what you"re doing now for fun, more or less."
"How much could I earn?"
"It all depends. Say a pound to thirty shillings a week."
Paul gasped and sat paralyzed. Artist, dusty road, gaudy van, distant cornfields and uplands were blotted from his senses. The cool waves of Pactolus lapped his feet.
"Come and look me up when you get to London," continued the friendly voice. "My name is Rowlatt-W. W. Rowlatt, 4, Gray"s Inn Square. Can you remember it?"
"Ay," said Paul.
"Shall I write it down?"