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‘Are you trying to cut me?’ she said.
‘No, of course not. I thought perhaps you didn’t want to
be spoken to.’
‘Where are you going?’
‘I wanted to have a look at the Manet, I’ve heard so much
about it.’
‘Would you like me to come with you? I know the Lux-
embourg rather well. I could show you one or two good
things.’
He understood that, unable to bring herself to apologise
directly, she made this offer as amends.
‘It’s awfully kind of you. I should like it very much.’
‘You needn’t say yes if you’d rather go alone,’ she said sus-
piciously.
‘I wouldn’t.’
They walked towards the gallery. Caillebotte’s collection
had lately been placed on view, and the student for the first
time had the opportunity to examine at his ease the works
of the impressionists. Till then it had been possible to see
them only at Durand-Ruel’s shop in the Rue Lafitte (and the
dealer, unlike his fellows in England, who adopt towards
the painter an attitude of superiority, was always pleased to
show the shabbiest student whatever he wanted to see), or at
his private house, to which it was not difficult to get a card of
admission on Tuesdays, and where you might see pictures
of world-wide reputation. Miss Price led Philip straight up
to Manet’s Olympia. He looked at it in astonished silence.
‘Do you like it?’ asked Miss Price.
‘I don’t know,’ he answered helplessly.

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