’Binks，isthatatruebill？’saidTorpenhow，severelyThelittledogretreatedunderthesofacushion，andshowedbythefatwhitebackofhimthathereallyhadnofurtherinterestinthediscussion。
　　’Strikesmethatanotherdisreputabledogwentforawalk，too，’saidtheNilghai’Whatmadeyougetupsoearly？Torpsaidyoumightbebuyingahorse。’
　　’Heknowsitwouldneedthreeofusforaseriousbusinesslikethat。
　　No，I
　　feltlonesomeandunhappy，soIwentouttolookatthesea，andwatchtheprettyshipsgoby。’
　　’Wheredidyougo？’
　　’SomewhereontheChannelProglyorSnigly，orsomewatering-placewasitsname；I’veforgotten；butitwasonlytwohours’runfromLondonandtheshipswentby。’
　　’Didyouseeanythingyouknew？’
　　’OnlytheBarralongoutwardstoAustralia，andanOdessagrain-boatloadeddownbytheheadItwasathickday，buttheseasmeltgood。’
　　’Whereforeputonone’sbesttrouserstoseetheBarralong？’saidTorpenhow，pointing。
　　’BecauseI’venothingexceptthesethingsandmypaintingduds。
　　Besides，Iwantedtodohonourtothesea。’
　　’DidShemakeyoufeelrestless？’askedtheNilghai，keenly。
　　’CrazyDon’tspeakofitI’msorryIwent。’
　　TorpenhowandtheNilghaiexchangedalookasDick，stooping，busiedhimselfamongtheformer’sbootsandtrees。
　　’Thesewilldo，’hesaidatlast；’Ican’tsayIthinkmuchofyourtasteinslippers，butthefit’sthething。’Heslippedhisfeetintoapairofsock-likesambhur-skinfootcoverings，foundalongchair，andlayatlength。
　　’They’remyownpetpair，’Torpenhowsaid’Iwasjustgoingtoputthemonmyself。’
　　’AllyourreprehensibleselfishnessJustbecauseyouseemehappyforaminute，youwanttoworrymeandstirmeupFindanotherpair。’
　　’GoodforyouthatDickcan’twearyourclothes，TorpYoutwolivecommunistically，’saidtheNilghai。
　　’DickneverhasanythingthatIcanwearHe’sonlyusefultospongeupon。’
　　’Confoundyou，haveyoubeenrummagingroundamongmyclothes，then？’saidDick’Iputasovereigninthetobacco-jaryesterday。
　　Howdoyouexpectamantokeephisaccountsproperlyifyou——’
　　HeretheNilghaibegantolaugh，andTorpenhowjoinedhim。
　　’Hidasovereignyesterday！You’renosortoffinancierYoulentmeafiveraboutamonthbackDoyouremember？’Torpenhowsaid。
　　’Yes，ofcourse。’
　　’DoyourememberthatIpaidityoutendayslater，andyouputitatthebottomofthetobacco？’
　　’ByJove，didI？Ithoughtitwasinoneofmycolour-boxes。’
　　’Youthought！AboutaweekagoIwentintoyourstudiotogetsome’baccyandfoundit。’
　　’Whatdidyoudowithit？’
　　’TooktheNilghaitoatheatreandfedhim。’
　　’Youcouldn’tfeedtheNilghaiundertwicethemoney——notthoughyougavehimArmybeefWell，IsupposeIshouldhavefounditoutsoonerorlaterWhatistheretolaughat？’
　　’You’reamostamazingcuckooinmanydirections，’saidtheNilghai，stillchucklingoverthethoughtofthedinner’NevermindWehadbothbeenworkingveryhard，anditwasyourunearnedincrementwespent，andasyou’reonlyaloaferitdidn’tmatter。’
　　’That’spleasant——fromthemanwhoisburstingwithmymeat，too。
　　I’llgetthatdinnerbackoneofthesedaysSupposewegotoatheatrenow。’
　　’Putourbootson，——anddress，——andwash？’TheNilghaispokeverylazily。
　　’Iwithdrawthemotion。’
　　’Suppose，justforachange——asastartlingvariety，youknow——we，thatistosaywe，getourcharcoalandourcanvasandgoonwithourwork。’
　　Torpenhowspokepointedly，butDickonlywriggledhistoesinsidethesoftleathermoccasins。
　　’Whataone-ideaedcluckerthatis！IfIhadanyunfinishedfiguresonhand，Ihaven’tanymodel；ifIhadmymodel，Ihaven’tanyspray，andI
　　neverleavecharcoalunfixedovernight；andifIhadmysprayandtwentyphotographsofbackgrounds，Icouldn’tdoanythingto-nightI
　　don’tfeelthatway。’
　　’Binkie-dog，he’salazyhog，isn’the？’saidtheNilghai。
　　’Verygood，Iwilldosomework，’saidDick，risingswiftly’I’llfetchtheNungapungaBook，andwe’lladdanotherpicturetotheNilghaiSaga。’
　　’Aren’tyouworryinghimalittletoomuch？’askedtheNilghai，whenDickhadlefttheroom。
　　’Perhaps，butIknowwhathecanturnoutifhelikesItmakesmesavagetohearhimpraisedforpastworkwhenIknowwhatheoughttodoYouandIarearrangedfor——’
　　’ByKismetandourownpowers，more’sthepityIhavedreamedofagooddeal。’
　　’SohaveI，butweknowourlimitationsnowI’mdashedifIknowwhatDick’smaybewhenhegiveshimselftohisworkThat’swhatmakesmesokeenabouthim。’
　　’Andwhenall’ssaidanddone，youwillbeputaside——quiterightly——forafemalegirl。’
　　’IwonderWheredoyouthinkhehasbeento-day？’
　　’TotheseaDidn’tyouseethelookinhiseyeswhenhetalkedabouther？
　　He’sasrestlessasaswallowinautumn。’
　　’Yes；butdidhegoalone？’
　　’Idon’tknow，andIdon’tcare，buthehasthebeginningsofthego-feveruponhimHewantstoup-stakesandmoveoutThere’snomistakingthesignsWhateverhemayhavesaidbefore，hehasthecalluponhimnow。’
　　’Itmightbehissalvation，’Torpenhowsaid。
　　’Perhaps——ifyoucaretotaketheresponsibilityofbeingasaviour。’
　　Dickreturnedwiththebigclaspedsketch-bookthattheNilghaiknewwellanddidnotlovetoomuchInitDickhaddrawnallmannerofmovingincidents，experiencedbyhimselforrelatedtohimbytheothers，ofallthefourcornersoftheearthButthewiderrangeoftheNilghai’sbodyandlifeattractedhimmostWhentruthfailedhefellbackonfictionofthewildest，andrepresentedincidentsintheNilghai’scareerthatwereunseemly，——hismarriageswithmanyAfricanprincesses，hisshamelessbetrayal，forArabwives，ofanarmycorpstotheMahdi，histattoomentbyskilledoperatorsinBurmah，hisinterviewandhisfears
　　withtheyellowheadsmanintheblood-stainedexecution-groundofCanton，andfinally，thepassingsofhisspiritintothebodiesofwhales，elephants，andtoucansTorpenhowfromtimetotimehadaddedrhymeddescriptions，andthewholewasacuriouspieceofart，becauseDickdecided，havingregardtothenameofthebookwhichbeinginterpretedmeans’naked，’thatitwouldbewrongtodrawtheNilghaiwithanyclotheson，underanycircumstancesConsequentlythelastsketch，representingthatmuch-enduringmancallingontheWarOfficetopresshisclaimstotheEgyptianmedal，washardlydelicateHesettledhimselfcomfortablyonTorpenhow’stableandturnedoverthepages。
　　’WhatafortuneyouwouldhavebeentoBlake，Nilghai！’hesaid。
　　’There’sasucculentpinknessaboutsomeofthesesketchesthat’smorethanlife-like“TheNilghaisurroundedwhilebathingbytheMahdieh“——thatwasfoundedonfact，eh？’
　　’Itwasverynearlymylastbath，youirreverentdauberHasBinkiecomeintotheSagayet？’
　　’No；theBinkie-boyhasn’tdoneanythingexcepteatandkillcats。
　　Let’sseeHereyouareasastained-glasssaintinachurchDeuceddecorativelinesaboutyouranatomy；yououghttobegratefulforbeinghandeddowntoposterityinthiswayFiftyyearshenceyou’llexistinrareandcuriousfacsimilesattenguineaseachWhatshallItrythistime？
　　ThedomesticlifeoftheNilghai？’
　　’Hasn’tgotany。’
　　’TheundomesticlifeoftheNilghai，thenOfcourseMass-meetingofhiswivesinTrafalgarSquareThat’sitTheycamefromtheendsoftheearthtoattendNilghai’sweddingtoanEnglishbrideThisshallbeanepicIt’sasweetmaterialtoworkwith。’
　　’It’sascandalouswasteoftime，’saidTorpenhow。
　　’Don’tworry；itkeepsone’shandin——speciallywhenyoubeginwithoutthepencil。’Hesettoworkrapidly’That’sNelson’sColumn。
　　PresentlytheNilghaiwillappearshinningupit。’
　　’Givehimsomeclothesthistime。’
　　’Certainly——aveilandanorange-wreath，becausehe’sbeenmarried。’
　　’Gad，that’scleverenough！’saidTorpenhowoverhisshoulder，asDickbroughtoutofthepaperwiththreetwirlsofthebrushaveryfatbackandlabouringshoulderpressedagainststone。
　　’Justimagine，’Dickcontinued，’ifwecouldpublishafewofthesedearlittlethingseverytimetheNilghaisubsidisesamanwhocanwrite，togivethepublicanhonestopinionofmypictures。’
　　’Well，you’lladmitIalwaystellyouwhenIhavedoneanythingofthatkindIknowIcan’thammeryouasyououghttobehammered，soI
　　givethejobtoanotherYoungMaclagan，forinstance——’
　　’No-o——onehalf-minute，oldman；stickyourhandoutagainstthedarkofthewall-paper——youonlyburbleandcallmenamesThatleftshoulder’soutofdrawingImustliterallythrowaveiloverthatWhere’smypen-knife？Well，whataboutMaclagan？’
　　’Ionlygavehimhisriding-ordersto——tolambastyouongeneralprinciplesfornotproducingworkthatwilllast。’
　　’Whereuponthatyoungfool，’——Dickthrewbackhisheadandshutoneeyeasheshiftedthepageunderhishand，——’beingleftalonewithanink-potandwhatheconceivedwerehisownnotions，wentandspiltthembothovermeinthepapersYoumighthaveengagedagrownmanforthebusiness，NilghaiHowdoyouthinkthebridalveillooksnow，Torp？’
　　’Howthedeucedothreedabsandtwoscratchesmakethestuffstandawayfromthebodyasitdoes？’saidTorpenhow，towhomDick’smethodswerealwaysnew。
　　’Itjustdependsonwhereyouput’emIfMaclaganhadknowthatmuchabouthisbusinesshemighthavedonebetter。’
　　’Whydon’tyouputthedamneddabsintosomethingthatwillstay，then？’
　　insistedtheNilghai，whohadreallytakenconsiderabletroubleinhiringforDick’sbenefitthepenofayounggentlemanwhodevotedmostofhiswakinghourstoananxiousconsiderationoftheaimsandendsofArt，which，hewrote，wasoneandindivisible。
　　’WaitaminutetillIseehowIamgoingtomanagemyprocessionofwivesYouseemtohavemarriedextensively，andImustrough’eminwiththepencil——Medes，Parthians，EdomitesNow，settingasidetheweaknessandthewickednessand——andthefat-headednessofdeliberatelytryingtodoworkthatwilllive，astheycallit，I’mcontentwiththeknowledgethatI’vedonemybestuptodate，andIshan’tdoanythinglikeitagainforsomehoursatleast——probablyyearsMostprobablynever。’
　　’What！anystuffyouhaveinstockyourbestwork？’saidTorpenhow。
　　’Anythingyou’vesold？’saidtheNilghai。
　　’OhnoItisn’thereanditisn’tsoldBetterthanthat，itcan’tbesold，andIdon’tthinkanyoneknowswhereitisI’msureIdon’tAndyetmoreandmorewives，onthenorthsideofthesquareObservethevirtuoushorrorofthelions！’
　　’Youmayaswellexplain，’saidTorpenhow，andDickliftedhisheadfromthepaper。
　　’Thesearemindedmeofit，’hesaidslowly’Iwishithadn’tItweighssomefewthousandtons——unlessyoucutitoutwithacoldchisel。’
　　’Don’tbeanidiotYoucan’tposewithushere，’saidtheNilghai。
　　’There’snoposeinthematteratallIt’safactIwasloafingfromLimatoAucklandinabig，old，condemnedpassenger-shipturnedintoacargo-boatandownedbyasecond-hadItalianfirmShewasacrazybasketWewerecutdowntofifteentonofcoaladay，andwethoughtourselvesluckywhenwekickedsevenknotsanhouroutofher。
　　Thenweusedtostopandletthebearingscooldown，andwonderwhetherthecrackintheshaftwasspreading。’
　　’Wereyouastewardorastokerinthosedays？’
　　’Iwasflushforthetimebeing，soIwasapassenger，orelseI
　　shouldhavebeenasteward，Ithink，’saidDick，withperfectgravity，returningtotheprocessionofangrywives’IwastheonlyotherpassengerfromLima，andtheshipwashalfempty，andfullofratsandcockroachesandscorpions。’