Miss Brodie laughed a little at this. There was a wonderful sunset across the distant sky, reflected in the sea, streaked with blood and puffed with avenging purple and gold as if the end of the world had come without intruding on every-day life.

“There’s another portrait,” Jenny said, “not finished yet, of Rose.”

“He has been painting Rose?”

“Yes.”

“Rose has been sitting for him?”

“Yes, for about a month.”

Miss Brodie was very excited. “Rose didn’t mention this,” she said.

Sandy halted. “Oh, I forgot. It was supposed to be a surprise. You aren’t supposed to know.”

“What, the portrait, I am to see it?”

Sandy looked confused, for she was not sure how Rose had meant her portrait to be a surprise to Miss Brodie.

Jenny said, “Oh, Miss Brodie, it is the fact that she’s sitting for Mr. Lloyd that she wanted to keep for a surprise.” Sandy realised, then, that this was right.

“Ah,” said Miss Brodie, well pleased. “That is thoughtful of Rose.”

Sandy was jealous, because Rose was not supposed to be thoughtful.

“What is she wearing for her portrait?” said Miss Brodie.

“Her gym tunic,” Sandy said.

“Sitting sideways,” Jenny said.

“In profile,” said Miss Brodie.

Miss Brodie stopped a man to buy a lobster for Mr. Lowther. When this was done she said:

“Rose is bound to be painted many times. She may well sit for Mr. Lloyd on future occasions, she is one of the crème de la crème.”

It was said in an enquiring tone. The girls understood she was trying quite hard to piece together a whole picture from their random remarks.

Jenny accordingly let fall, “Oh, yes, Mr. Lloyd wants to paint Rose in red velvet.”

And Sandy added, “Mrs. Lloyd has a bit of red velvet to put around her, they were trying it round her.”

“Are you to return?” said Miss Brodie.

“Yes, all of us,” Sandy said. “Mr. Lloyd thinks we’re a jolly nice set.”

“Have you not thought it remarkable,” said Miss Brodie, “that it is you six girls that Mr. Lloyd has chosen to invite to his studio?”

“Well, we’re a set,” said Jenny.

“Has he invited any other girls from the school?” — but Miss Brodie knew the answer.

“Oh, no, only us.”

“It is because you are mine,” said Miss Brodie. “I mean of my stamp and cut, and I am in my prime.”

Sandy and Jenny had not given much thought to the fact of the art master’s inviting them as a group. Indeed, there was something special in his acceptance of the Brodie set. There was a mystery here to be worked out, and it was clear that when he thought of them he thought of Miss Brodie.

“He always asks about you,” Sandy said to Miss Brodie, “as soon as he sees us.”

“Yes, Rose did tell me that,” said Miss Brodie.