I think
Madame Vatrotski had an appointment with Forbes that day, and more, that
she kept it."
"Where?"
"At his studio. It may have been to give him a final sitting, or it may
have been a lovers' meeting. Forbes could only see her beauty and
fascination; he put what he saw into the bust. He loved her with all the
unreasoning power that was in him; it is possible that in her limited way
she loved him, that he was more to her than all the rest. Then came the
sudden revulsion, perhaps because stories concerning her had reached
Forbes, stories he was convinced were true. She was alone with him in the
studio, and--well, I do not think she left it alive."
"But the body?" I said.
"Always the great difficulty," Quarles returned. "Yesterday I spent an
interesting day in Essex, Wigan, watching the various processes used in
making artificial stone, from its liquid and plastic state to its setting
into a hard block. I was amazed at what can be done with it."
"You mean that--"
"It is impossible!" Zena exclaimed.
"It is not a very difficult matter to treat a body so as to preserve it,
but to cover it with a preparation and with such precision that when it
is set you shall see nothing but a stone figure is, of course, only
possible to an artist.
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