The owner of the farm was Angus Fraser , and he and his wife seemed to be a reserved , uncouth pair , with no apparent interest in life save to scratch a bare living out of their few stony acres . He had an impression that they were childless and was at a loss to place this girl who poured his tea and brought in his toast . She did not resemble either Fraser or his wife . She was certainly not beautiful , being very tall and rather awkward , and dressed in a particularly unbecoming dark print wrapper . Her luxuriant hair was thick and black , and was coiled in a heavy knot at the nape of her neck . Her features were delicate but irregular , and her skin was very brown . Her eyes attracted Reeves 's notice especially ; they were large and dark and full of a half-unconscious , wistful longing , as if a prisoned soul behind them were vainly trying to reveal itself . Reeves could find out nothing of her from herself , for she responded to his tentative questions about the place in the briefest fashion . Afterwards he interviewed Mrs. Fraser cautiously , and ascertained that the girl 's name was Helen Fraser , and that she was Angus 's niece . `` Her father and mother are dead and we 've brought her up . Helen 's a good girl in most ways -- a little obstinate and sulky now and then -- but generally she 's steady enough , and as for work , there ai n't a girl in Bay Beach can come up to her in house or field . Angus calculates she saves him a man 's wages clear . No , I ai n't got nothing to say against Helen . '' Nevertheless , Reeves felt somehow that Mrs. Fraser did not like her husband 's niece . He often heard her scolding or nagging Helen at her work , and noticed that the latter never answered back . But once , after Mrs. Angus 's tongue had been especially bitter , he met the girl hurrying along the hall from the kitchen with her eyes full of tears . Reeves felt as if someone had struck him a blow . He went to Angus and his wife that afternoon . He wished to paint a shore picture , he said , and wanted a model . Would they allow Miss Fraser to pose for him ?
He would pay liberally XXXXX her time .
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