Nesah observed the painter. The scandalously exposed sleeves! From that and the strong accent, she conjectured that he was a working class man, at least by birth. But he had probably managed to raise himself above his former station thanks to his painting. His clothes didn't look all worn and torn. And she couldn't smell him from where she stood. Not the common pauper from the town below, then?

The young woman looked at the painting again, irritated that he seemed to be denying to have painted her. She scoffed when he talked of a commission. "What? For a painting of the town? It's a miserable sight." She knew that he would probably disagree. Many artists came to town to paint it because it was considered picturesque. Nesah considered it to be dull, full of annoying people, and smelly. At least the smell would be absent from a painting.