231


THE    COMMON   LAW

"  After  all,"  he  said,  "  what  is  so  bad  about  it,
Kelly?"

"  Oh,  everj'thing."

"  No,  it  isn't.  There's  something  about  it  that's —
different — and  interesting "

"  Oh,  shut  up,  John,  and  fix  yourself  a  drink "

'■  Kelly,  I'm  telling  j'ou  that  it  isn't  bad — that
there's  something  terriljly  solid  and  sincere  about  this
beo-inning "

He  looked  around  with  a  bovine  grunt  as  Sam
Ogilvy  and  Harry  Annan  came  mincing  in :  "  I  say,
j'ou  would-be  funny  fellows  ! — come  over  and  tell  Kelly
Neville  that  he's  got  a  pretty  good  tiling  here  if  he
onlj'  has  the  brains  to  develop  it !  "

Neville  lighted  a  cigarette  and  looked  on  cynically
as  Ogilvy  and  Annan  joined  Burleson  on  tiptoe,  af-
fecting exaggerated  curiosity.
"  I  tliink  it's  rotten,"  said  Annan,  after  a  moment's
scrutiny;  "  don't  you,  Sam?  "

Ogilvy,  fists  thrust  deep  into  the  pockets  of  his
painting  jacket,  eyed  the  canvas  in  silence.
"  Don't  you?  "  repeated  Annan.  "  Or  is  it  a  mas-
terpiece beyond  my  vulgar  ken?  "

"  Well — no.  Kelly  was  evidently  trying  to  get  at
something  new — work  out  some  serious  idea.  No,  I
don't  think  it's  rotten  at  all.      I  rather  like  it."

"  It  looks  too  much  like  her;  that's  why  it's  rotten,"
said  Annan.  "  Thank  God  I've  a  gift  for  making  pretty
women  out  of  my  feminine  clients,  otherwise  I'd  starve.
