Not knowing what to do next I started peering at the plates beside front doors, hoping to find one of them that said Stein. Luckily she did not live too far from the park and I found her quite soon. I rang her doorbell then walked up to her apartment on the second floor. As I tapped on the door a strong female voice yelled, “Come in!”

I opened the door and stepped into a narrow hallway.

“If it’s the butcher take the meat through to the kitchen,” the voice went on in English. “And it better be a nice plump poussin this time, not some scrawny old hen that has died of old age.”

The voice came closer and a big-boned woman with a towel around her head came out into the hall. She stopped in surprise when she saw me.

“You’re not the butcher,” she said.

“No, I’m not.”

“Then what the deuce are you doing in my front hall?”

“My name is Sullivan and I came to see you. I’ve just arrived from New York and…”

“Came to see me? My dear girl, you should know that I never see anybody before luncheon. I’ve only just woken up. It’s simply not civilized.” She turned back to where the hall disappeared into darkness. “Leo!” she yelled. “Make sure you don’t come out in your underwear. There’s a young lady standing in our foyer.” Then she turned back to me. “If you want to pay a call on me, then come to one of my salons like everybody else. You’ll usually find people here most evenings although Saturday night is when we have our big weekly shindig. A painter, are you? Or a buyer? Because I should warn you that you won’t get me to part with any of my paintings.”

It was as hard to stop her as a train thundering down the track at full speed. “Mrs. Stein,” I began.

She held up her hand. “Hold it right there. It’s Miss Stein or Gertrude if you like. I’m not big on formality. I’m not married either. Never intend to be.”

“But you spoke to someone called Leo,” I stammered, wondering if I had committed a faux pas and Leo was perhaps her lover.

“My brother. We’re sharing the place at the moment, and sharing our passion for collecting art too. I suppose you’d better come in. We can’t stand talking here.”