I was disappointed; for in the pictorial sense I had immediately SEEN them.

I had seized their type--I had already settled what I would do with it.

Something that wouldn't absolutely have pleased them, I afterwards reflected.
"Ah you're--you're--a-- ?" I began as soon as I had mastered my surprise.
I couldn't bring out the dingy word "models": it seemed so little to fit the case.
"We haven't had much practice," said the lady.
"We've got to do something, and we've thought that an artist in your line might perhaps make something of us," her husband threw off.

He further mentioned that they didn't know many artists and that they had gone first, on the off-chance--he painted views of course, but sometimes put in figures; perhaps I remembered--to Mr.Rivet, whom they had met a few years before at a place in Norfolk where he was sketching.
"We used to sketch a little ourselves," the lady hinted.
"It's very awkward, but we absolutely must do something," her husband went on.
"Of course we're not so VERY young," she admitted with a wan smile.
With the remark that I might as well know something more about them the husband had handed me a card extracted from a neat new pocket-book--their appurtenances were all of the freshest--and inscribed with the words "Major Monarch." Impressive as these words were they didn't carry my knowledge much further; but my visitor presently added: "I've left the army and we've had the misfortune to lose our money.

In fact our means are dreadfully small." "It's awfully trying--a regular strain,", said Mrs.Monarch.
They evidently wished to be discreet--to take care not to swagger because they were gentlefolk.