Arthur Hughes paintings

Arthur Hughes paintings
Albert Bierstadt paintings
Andreas Achenbach paintings
Alphonse Maria Mucha paintings
``I'm dreadfully late -- you weren't worried, were you?'' she asked, laying her hand on his shoulder with one of her rare caresses.
He looked up astonished. ``Is it late?''
``After seven. I believe you've been asleep!'' She laughed, and drawing out her hat pins tossed her velvet hat on the sofa. She looked paler than usual, but sparkling with an unwonted animation.
``I went to see Granny, and just as I was going away Ellen came in from a walk; so I stayed and had a long
-314-talk with her. It was ages since we'd had a real talk. . . .'' She had dropped into her usual armchair, facing his, and was running her fingers through her rumpled hair. He fancied she expected him to speak. ``A really good talk,'' she went on, smiling with what seemed to Archer an unnatural vividness. ``She was so dear -- just like the old Ellen. I'm afraid I haven't been fair to her lately. I've sometimes thought -- ''
Archer stood up and leaned against the mantelpiece, out of the radius of the lamp.
``Yes, you've thought -- ?'' he echoed as she paused.