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maid was in raptures over Madame’s arms and shoulders. It was a
scandal not to show anything so fine.
“Wait a little, Alphonsine,” said Gilbert. “The next lot of
clothes I design for Madame we’ll make the most of her.”
The spectacles of course were dreadful. No one could look
really well in gold-rimmed spectacles. Gilbert tried some with
tortoise-shell rims. He shook his head.
“They’d look all right on a girl,” he said. “You’re too old to
wear spectacles, Jane.” Suddenly he had an inspiration. “By George,
I’ve got it. You must wear an eye-glass.”
“Oh, Gilbert, I couldn’t.”
She looked at him, and his excitement, the excitement of the
artist, made her smile. He was so sweet to her she wanted to do what
she could to please him.
“I’ll try,” she said.
When they went to an optician and, suited with the right size,
she placed an eye-glass jauntily in her eye Gilbert clapped his hands.
There and then, before the astonished shopman, he kissed her on both
cheeks.
“You look wonderful,” he cried. So they went down to Italy
and spent happy months studying Renaissance and Baroque
architecture. Jane not only grew accustomed to her changed
appearance but found she liked it. At first she was a little shy when
she went into the dining-room of a hotel and people turned round to
stare at her — no one had ever raised an eyelid to look at her before
— but presently she found that the sensation was not disagreeable.
Ladies came up to her and asked her where she got her dress.
“Do you like it?” she answered demurely. “My husband
designed it for me.”
“I should like to copy it if you don’t mind.”
Jane had certainly for many years lived a very quiet life, but
she was by no means lacking in the normal instincts of her sex. She
had her answer ready.
“I’m so sorry, but my husband’s very particular and he won’t
hear of anyone copying my frocks. He wants me to be unique.”
She had an idea that people would laugh when she said this, but
they didn’t; they merely answered:
“Oh, of course I quite understand. You are unique.”