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THE    COMMON   LAW


Don't  be  afraid ;  watch  the  shape  of  the  shadows.  .  .  »
That's  it!  Do  you  see?  Never  be  afraid  of  dealing
vigorously  with  your  subject.  Every  modification  of
the  first  vigorous  touch  is  bound  to  weaken  and  some-
times to  emasculate.  ...  I  don't  mean  for  you  to
parade  crudity  and  bunches  of  exaggerated  muscle  as
an  ultimate  expression  of  vigour.  Only  the  devotee
of  the  obvious  is  satisfied  with  that  sort  of  result ;  and
our  exhibitions  reek  with  them.  But  there  is  no  reason
why  the  satin  skin  and  smooth  contour  of  a  naked  child
shouldn't  express  virility  and  vigour — no  reason  why
the  flawless  delicacy  of  Venus  herself  should  not,  if
necessary,  express  violence  unexaggerated  and  without
either  distortion  or  lack  of  finish."

He  glanced  across  at  the  dozing  cat:

"  Under  that  silky  black  fur  there  are  bones  and
fibres  and  muscles.  Don't  exaggerate  them  and  call
your  task  finished ;  merely  remember  always  that  they're
there  framing  and  padding  the  velvet  skin.  More  is
done  by  skilful  inference  than  by  parading  every  ab-
stract fact  you  know  and  translating  the  sum-ac-
cumulative of  your  knowledge  into  the  over-accented
concrete.  Reticence  is  a  kind  of  vigour.  It  can  even
approach  violence.  The  mentally  garrulous  kill  their
own  inspiration.  Inadequacy  loves  to  lump  things  and
gamble  with  chance  for  effective  results."

He  rose,  walked  over  and  examined  Gladys,  touched
her  contemplatively  with  the  button  of  his  mahl-stick,
and  listened  absently  to  her  responsive  purr.  Then,
palette  still  in  hand,  he  sat  down  opposite  Valerie,  gaz-
ing at  her  in  that  detached  manner  which  some  mistook
for  indifference:

"  There  are,  I  think,  two  reasons  for  failure  in.
