CHAPTER XII.
It was Arthur Rattray who generally did the art criticism for the _Decade_, and when a temporary indisposition interfered between Mr.Rattray and this duty early in May, he had acquired so much respect for Elfrida's opinion in artistic matters, and so much good-will toward her personally, that he wrote and asked her to undertake it for him with considerable pleasure.

This respect and regard had dawned upon him gradually, from various sources, in spite of the fact that the Latin Quarter article had not been a particular success.

That, to do Miss Bell justice, as Mr.Rattray said in mentioning the matter to the editor-in-chief, was not so much the fault of the article as the fault of their public.

Miss Bell wrote the graphic naked truth about the Latin Quarter.

Even after Rattray had sent her copy back to be amended for the third time, she did not seem able to realize that their public wouldn't stand _unions libres_ when not served up with a moral purpose--that no artistic apology for them would do.