MRS. SYLVESTER (off).

I will wait in his studio till he comes.  He ought to have been here long ago.

REMBRANDT TEMPENNY (in terror).

Ought he!  I won’t be seen here—­I can’t.  She is a friend of my wife’s.  I won’t be found in your company.  I’m a moral man, and she knows you.

ROSALINE (indignantly).

What?

REMBRANDT TEMPENNY.

Here, hi, I will be a lay-figure.  By George, I’ve got it—­I will be the
Mandarin, see!

(He disguises himself with Rosaline’s assistance as a Mandarin, and sits cross-legged at back, wagging his head.)

REMBRANDT TEMPENNY.

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 (passionately).

Who was this friend, girl?  Who told you to come?  Answer me.

ROSALINE.

Oh, that is very easy.  I was engaged by Mr.—­