Burton’s home. There, to my dismay, I discovered that I was the only woman attending his class and that the three other young male students were from the university. I felt so intimidated that I would have left had not Robert, the butler, already begun to lead our small group up the stairwell. As we made our way through the rather dark house, my tension increased. What had I done! What had I been thinking! I was getting ready to bolt when Robert ushered us into a room so charming that at once I relaxed. The walls were painted my favorite shade of yellow, and when Robert drew back the blue and white draperies, light filled the room. It streamed onto an old pine table loaded down with pints of water, glass jars filled with upended brushes, ceramic palettes, and boxes and boxes of paint cubes. Heaven! The other students, after selecting supplies, made their way to the easels. As I moved in and gaped about, I tripped on the heavy canvas cloth that covered the dark oak floor, but I saved myself when I grabbed hold of the fireplace mantel.
