He was so struck by you that he actually
believed you to be not a corporeal woman at all; he believed you had
been sent from the spirit-world by his dead mother to enable him to
paint a great picture."
'"Oh, I must see him, and make him tell me all," I said.
'"Yes," said he, "but not yet."
'What Mr. D'Arcy told me,' said Winnie, 'affected me so deeply that I
remained silent for a long time. Then came a thought which made me
say,
'"You. too, are a painter, Mr. D'Arcy?"
'"Yes," he said.
'"During the months that I have been living here have you used me as
your model?"
'"No; but that was not because I did not wish to do so."
'Then he suddenly looked in my face and said,
'"Is your family entirely Welsh, Miss Wynne?"
'"Entirely," I said. "But why did you not use me as your model, Mr.
D'Arcy?"
'"Poor Wilderspin believed you to be a spiritual body," he said; "I
did not. I knew that you were a young lady in an unconscious
condition. To have painted you in such a condition and without the
possibility of getting your consent would have been sacrilege, even
if I had painted you as a Madonna.
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