"Giraffes drinking at the fountain pools,
Trafalgar Square," was one of the most notable and characteristic of his
studies, while even more sensational was the gruesome picture of
"Vultures attacking dying camel in Upper Berkeley Street." There were
also photographs of the large canvas on which he had been engaged for
some months, and which he was now endeavouring to sell to some
enterprising dealer or adventurous amateur. The subject was "Hyaenas
asleep in Euston Station," a composition that left nothing to be desired
in the way of suggesting unfathomed depths of desolation.
"Of course it may be immensely clever, it may be something epoch-making
in the realm of art," said Sylvia Strubble to her own particular circle
of listeners, "but, on the other hand, it may be merely mad. One mustn't
pay too much attention to the commercial aspect of the case, of course,
but still, if some dealer would make a bid for that hyaena picture, or
even for some of the sketches, we should know better how to place the man
and his work."
"We may all be cursing ourselves one of these days," said Mrs. Nougat-
Jones, "for not having bought up his entire portfolio of sketches. At
the same time, when there is so much real talent going about, one does
not feel like planking down ten shillings for what looks like a bit of
whimsical oddity. Now that picture that he showed us last week, 'Sand-
grouse roosting on the Albert Memorial,' was very impressive, and of
course I could see there was good workmanship in it and breadth of
treatment; but it didn't in the least convey the Albert Memorial to me,
and Sir James Beanquest tells me that sand-grouse don't roost, they sleep
on the ground.
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