The temptress Author:William Le Queux Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: III. IN BOHEMIA. " LOOK here, Hugh, what is the cause of this confounded gloominess? " " Nothing that concerns anybody, except myself," was the morose r... more »eply. " Well, you needn't snarl like that at an old friend. Come, out with it, and let's have no secrets." " There's not much to tell, old fellow, beyond the fact that I'm ruined." " What! " exclaimed John Egerton, open-mouthed in amazement. "Ruined?" " Yes." " Are you really serious ; or is this another of your confoundedly grim jokes ? " " It's too true, alas!" the other replied, with a sigh. The artist, laying his palette and mahl-stick aside, turned and faced his visitor, exclaiming— " Sit down and relate the circumstances; we must see what can be done." "Nothing can prevent the catastrophe. I've considered the problem long enough, and can find no solution." " Well, don't knock under without a struggle, my dear old chap. Men work for fame and fortune, but expect happiness as a gift. Confide in me, and perhaps we may arrange things." chapter{Section 4The other smiled sadly, but shook his head. It was the afternoon following the events related in the previous chapter. The two speakers who were in such serious conversation stood in a shabby studio in Fitzroy Square gravely contemplating one another. John Egerton, the owner of the place was a successful artist, whose works sold well, whose black and white illustrations were much sought after by magazine proprietors, and whose Academy pictures had brought him some amount of notoriety. His success was well deserved, for, after a rather wild student life on the Continent, he was now exceedingly industrious. Art was his hobby, and he had but little pleasure outside the walls of his studio. Though discarding a collar, and attired negligen...« less