The Common Law 1 The Common Law The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Common Law, by Robert W. Chambers This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net Title: The Common Law Author: Robert W. Chambers Release Date: October 20, 2004 [EBook #13813] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE COMMON LAW *** Produced by Gene Smethers and the PG Online Distributed Proofreading Team. Produced from images provided by the Million Book Project The COMMON LAW Works of Robert W. Chambers The Common Law The Adventures of a Modest Man Ailsa Paige The Danger Mark Special Messenger The Firing Line The Younger Set The Fighting Chance Some Ladies in Haste The Tree of Heaven The Tracer of Lost Persons A Young Man in a Hurry Lorraine Maids of Paradise Ashes of Empire The Red Republic Outsiders The Green Mouse Iole The Reckoning The Maid-at-Arms Cardigan The Haunts of Men The Mystery of Choice The Cambric Mask The Maker of Moons The King in Yellow In The Common Law 2 Search of the Unknown The Conspirators A King and a Few Dukes In the Quarter For Children Garden-Land Forest-Land River-Land Mountain-Land Orchard-Land Outdoor-Land Hide and Seek in Forest-Land The COMMON LAW BY ROBERT W. CHAMBERS WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY CHARLES DANA GIBSON NEW YORK AND LONDON D. APPLETON AND COMPANY 1911 [Illustration: "She sat at the piano, running her fingers lightly over the keyboard." [Page 48.]] TO CHARLES DANA GIBSON A FRIEND OF MANY YEARS LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE "She sat at the piano, running her fingers lightly over the keyboard" Frontispiece "There was a long, brisk, decisive ring at the door" 3 "'Now, Miss West,' he said decisively" 13 The Common Law 3 "'I know perfectly well that this isn't right,'she said" 31 "'What's the matter with it, then?'" 40 "For a long while she sat, her cheek resting on one palm, looking fixedly into space" 65 "Neville stood stock-still before the canvas" 81 "When he first tried to ring her up the wire was busy" 83 "'Kelly, dear, are you unhappy?'" 90 "He picked up a bit of white chalk ... and traced on the floor the outline of her shoes" 93 "'I will call you a god if I like!'" 96 "'If she's as much of a winner as all that,' began Cameron with decision, 'I want to meet her immediately--'" 109 "'Come on, Alice, if you're going to scrub before luncheon'" 116 "'I know it is you. Is it?' 125 "A smartly dressed and very confident drummer" 136 "Valerie sat cross-legged on the grass ... scribbling away" 145 "'How well you look!' He exclaimed" 149 "Querida had laughed ... and returned compliment for compliment" 175 "'Me lord, the taxi waits!'" 179 Mazie Gray 183 The Common Law 4 "And the last rose dropped from her hand" 188-189 "'How perfectly horrid you can be!'she exclaimed" 199 "She began by balancing her check book" 224 "He stood before it, searching in it for any hint of that elusive and mysterious _something_" 229 "'I shall have need of friends,' she said half to herself" 245 '"Don't do it, Valerie!'" 247 "Ogilvy stood looking sentimentally at the two young girls" 249 "Valerie's lips trembled on the edge of a smile as she bent lower over her sewing" 286 "She and Rita dined with him once or twice" 293 "Tall, transparently pale, negative in character" 297 "Her poise, her unconsciousness, the winning simplicity of her manner were noticed everywhere" 307 "'Where do you keep those pretty models, Louis?' he demanded" 315 "'Your--profession--must be an exceedingly interesting one,' said Lily" 326 "It was a large, thick, dark book, and weighed nearly four pounds" 338 The Countess d'Enver 347 "'May I sit here with you until she arrives? I am Stephanie Swift'" 355 "'John, you don't look very well,' said Valerie" 359 The Common Law 5 "'It is very beautiful, Louis,' said his mother, with a smile of pride" 387 "'You are not happy, Louis'" 390 "'What have you been saying to your mother?' he asked" 404 "'If you'll place a lump of sugar on my nose, and say "when," I'll perform'" 409 "And what happier company for her than her thoughts--what tenderer companionship than her memories?" 413 "She prowled around the library, luxuriously, dipping into inviting volumes" 415 "'Miss West!' he exclaimed. 'How on earth did you ever find your way into my woods?'" 417 "'Dearest,' he whispered, putting his arm around her, 'you must come with us'" 427 "'Well, Louis, what do you know about this?'" 430 "The parrot greeted her, flapping his brilliant wings and shrieking from his perch" 449 "'And they--the majority of them--are, after all, just men'" 453 "His thoughts were mostly centred on Valerie" 458 "Ogilvy ... began a lively fencing bout with an imaginary adversary" 479 "Then Rita came silently on sandalled feet to stand behind him and look at what he had done" 483 CHAPTER I 6 "'You'd better understand, Kelly, that Rita Tevis is as well born as I am'" 491 "She knelt down beside the bed and ... said whatever prayer she had in mind" 507 "She was longer over her hair ... gathering it and bringing it under discipline" 510 "'Yes,' she said, 'it is really great'" 521 "'I am scared blue. That's why I'm holding on to your hand so desperately'" 531 THE COMMON LAW CHAPTER I There was a long, brisk, decisive ring at the door. He continued working. After an interval the bell rang again, briefly, as though the light touch on the electric button had lost its assurance. "Somebody's confidence has departed," he thought to himself, busy with a lead-weighted string and a stick of soft charcoal wrapped in silver foil. For a few moments he continued working, not inclined to trouble himself to answer the door, but the hesitating timidity of a third appeal amused him, and he walked out into the hallway and opened the door. In the dim light a departing figure turned from the stairway: "Do you wish a model?" she asked in an unsteady voice. "No," he said, vexed. "Then--I beg your pardon for disturbing you--" CHAPTER I 7 "Who gave you my name?" he demanded. "Why--nobody--" "Who sent you to me? Didn't anybody send you?" "No." "But how did you get in?" "I--walked in." There was a scarcely perceptible pause; then she turned away in the dim light of the corridor. "You know," he said, "models are not supposed to come here unless sent for. It isn't done in this building." He pointed to a black and white sign on his door which bore the words: "No Admittance." "I am very sorry. I didn't understand--" "Oh, it's all right; only, I don't see how you got up here at all. Didn't the elevator boy question you? It's his business." "I didn't come up on the elevator." "You didn't walk up!" "Yes." "Twelve stories!" "Both elevators happened to be in service. Besides, I was not quite certain that models were expected to use the elevators." CHAPTER I 8 "Good Lord!" he exclaimed, "you must have wanted an engagement pretty badly." "Yes, I did." He stared: "I suppose you do, still," "If you would care to try me." "I'll take your name and address, anyhow. Twelve flights! For the love of--oh, come in anyway and rest." It was dusky in the private hallway through which he preceded her, but there was light enough in the great studio. Through the vast sheets of glass fleecy clouds showed blue sky between. The morning was clearing. He went over to an ornate Louis XV table, picked up a note book, motioned her to be seated, dropped into a chair himself, and began to sharpen a pencil. As yet he had scarcely glanced at her, and now, while he leisurely shaved the cedar and scraped the lead to a point, he absent-mindedly and good-humouredly admonished her: "You models have your own guild, your club, your regular routine, and it would make it much easier for us if you'd all register and quietly wait until we send for you. [Illustration: "There was a long, brisk, decisive ring at the door."] "You see we painters know what we want and we know where to apply for it. But if you all go wandering over studio buildings in search of engagements, we won't have any leisure to employ you because it will take all our time to answer the bell. And it will end by our not answering it at all. And that's why it is fit and proper for good little models to remain chez eux." CHAPTER I 9 He had achieved a point to his pencil. Now he opened his model book, looked up at her with his absent smile, and remained looking. "Aren't you going to remove your veil?" "Oh--I beg your pardon!" Slender gloved fingers flew up, were nervously busy a moment. She removed her veil and sat as though awaiting his comment. None came. After a moment's pause she said: "Did you wish--my name and address?" He nodded, still looking intently at her.