"Butyou're forty. "

"That'swhat made me think it was high time to begin. "

"Have youever painted?"

"I ratherwanted to be a painter when I was a boy, but my father made me go into businessbecause he said there was no money in art. I began to paint a bit a year ago.For the last year I've been going to some classes at night. "

"Was thatwhere you went when Mrs. Strickland thought you were playing bridge at yourclub?"

"That'sit. "

"Whydidn't you tell her?"

"Ipreferred to keep it to myself. "

"Can youpaint?"

"Not yet.But I shall. That's why I've come over here. I couldn't get what I wanted inLondon. Perhaps I can here. "

"Do youthink it's likely that a man will do any good when he starts at your age? Mostmen begin painting at eighteen. "

"I canlearn quicker than I could when I was eighteen. "

"Whatmakes you think you have any talent?"

He did notanswer for a minute. His gaze rested on the passing throng, but I do not thinkhe saw it. His answer was no answer.

"I've gotto paint. "

"Aren'tyou taking an awful chance?"

He looked atme. His eyes had something strange in them, so that I felt ratheruncomfortable.

“可是你已经四十了。”

“正是因为这个我才想，如果现在再不开始就太晚了。”

“你过去画过画儿吗？”

“我小的时候很想作个画家，可是我父亲叫我去作生意，因为他认为学艺术赚不了钱。一年以前我开始画了点儿画。去年我一直在夜校上课。”

“思特里克兰德太太以为你在俱乐部玩桥牌的时间你都是去上课吗？”

“对了。”

“你为什么不告诉她？”

“我觉得还是别让她知道好。”

“你能够画了吗？”

“还不成。但是我将来能够学会的。正是为了这个我才到巴黎来。在伦敦我得不到我要求的东西。也许在这里我会得到的。”

“你认为象你这样年纪的人开始学画还能够学得好吗？大多数人都是十八岁开始学。”

“如果我十八岁学，会比现在学得快一些。”

“你怎么会认为自己还有一些绘画的才能？”

他并没有马上回答我的问题。他的目光停在过往的人群上，但是我认为他什么也没有看见。最后他回答我的话根本算不上是回答。

“我必须画画儿。”

“你这样做是不是完全在碰运气？”

这时他把目光转到我身上。他的眼睛里有一种奇怪的神情，叫我觉得不太舒服。