What more natural than that the high-spirited, irresponsible Dick should fall into this trap ?--or indeed that he should have been picked out in advance as the ideal victim and have been drawn into it?
"Hello, there!" grumbled Dick, entering.

"Why didn't you answer a shipmate's hail ?" "I heard you; but just then I was adding a column of figures, and I knew you'd look in." At that moment Larry noted the portrait of Maggie, looking up from the chair beside him.

With a swiftness which he tried to disguise into a mechanical action, he seized the painting and rolled it up, face inside.
"What's that you've got ?" demanded Dick.
"Just a little daub of my own." "So you paint, too.

What else can you do?
Let's have a look." "It's too rotten.

I'd rather let you see something else--though all my stuff is bad." "You wouldn't do any little thing, would you, to brighten this tiredest hour in the day of a tired business man," complained Dick.