human
No, no, shouted a chorus of voices;
gpt
For Heaven's sake don't try it, Miss Lamont,
human
But I want to. I think I must. You can sketch me in the act. It will be something new.
gpt
Work fast, said the girl.
human
It's hard hanging on. But the pencil wouldn't work. The artist made a lot of wild marks. He would have given the world to sketch in that exquisite figure, but every time he cast his eye upward the peril was so evident that his hand shook. It was no use. The danger increased as she descended, and with it the excitement of the spectators. All the young gentlemen declared they would catch her if she fell, and some of them seemed to hope she might drop into their arms. Swing off she certainly must when the lowest limb was reached. But that was ten feet above the ground and the alighting-place was sharp rock and broken bowlders. The artist kept up a pretense of drawing. He felt every movement of her supple figure and the strain upon the slender arms, but this could not be transferred to the book. It was nervous work. The girl was evidently getting weary, but not losing her pluck. The young fellows were very anxious that the artist should keep at his work; they would catch her. There was a pause; the girl had come to the last limb; she was warily meditating a slide or a leap; the young men were quite ready to sacrifice themselves; but somehow, no one could tell exactly how, the girl swung low, held herself suspended by her hands for an instant, and then dropped into the right place--trust a woman for that; and the artist, his face flushed, set her down upon the nearest flat rock. Chorus from the party,
gpt
She is saved!
human
And my sketch is gone up again.
gpt
I'm sorry, Mr. Forbes. The girl looked full of innocent regret.
human
But when I was up there I had to come down that tree. I couldn't help it, really.