Beauty interrupted

The story follows an Earthman living on an alien world whose presence and advanced knowledge provoke envy and suspicion among the natives. A resentful young scientist contrasts Earthmen's long lifespans and instantaneous transgalactic travel with his people's brief lives and slower technology, bitter at promises of help deferred to a distant future. Personal jealousy mixes with cultural disagreement as the Earthman forms a close relationship with a local woman who poses for his paintings, while the scientist, aided by a simple-minded companion, slips into a forbidden part of the Earthman's house, bringing matters of technology and trust to a head.