‘For how long?’
‘For ten days.’
’Nothing can be done during that time.
Clara Van Siever is going away in a day, and will
not be back for three weeks. I happen to know
that; so we have plenty of time for working.
It would be very desirable that she should never even
hear of it; but that cannot be hoped, as Maria has
such a tongue! Couldn’t you see Mr Dalrymple
tonight?’
‘Well, no; I don’t think I could.’
‘Mind, at least, that you come to me as soon
as ever you return.’
Before he got out of the house, which he did after
a most affectionate farewell, Johnny felt himself
compelled to promise that he would come to Miss Demolines
again as soon as he got back to town; and as the door
was closed behind him by the boy in buttons, he made
up his mind that he certainly would call as soon as
he returned to London. ’It’s as good
as a play,’ he said to himself. Not that
he cared in the least for Miss Demolines, or that
he would take any steps with the intention of preventing
the painting of the picture. Miss Demolines had
some battle to fight, and he would leave her to fight
it with her own weapons. If his friend chose
to paint a picture of Jael, and take Miss Van Siever
as a model, it was no business of his. Nevertheless
he would certainly go and see Miss Demolines again,
because, as he said, she was as good as a play.
THE PICTURE
On that same afternoon Conway Dalrymple rolled up
his sketch of Jael and Sisera, put it into his pocket,
dressed himself with some considerable care, putting
on a velvet coat which he was in the habit of wearing
out of doors when he did not intend to wander beyond
Kensington Gardens, and the neighbourhood and which
was supposed to become him well, yellow gloves, and
a certain Spanish hat of which he was fond, and slowly
sauntered across to the house of his friend Mrs Dobbs
Broughton. When the door was opened to him he
did not ask if the lady were at home, but muttering
some word to the servant, made his way through the
hall, upstairs, to a certain small sitting-room looking
to the north which was much used by the mistress of
the house. It was quite clear that Conway Dalrymple
had arranged his visit beforehand, and that he was
expected. He opened the door without knocking,
and, though the servant had followed him, he entered
without being announced. ‘I’m afraid
I’m late,’ he said, as he gave his hand
to Mrs Broughton; ’but for the life I could
not get away sooner.’
‘You are quite in time,’ said the lady,
’for any good that you are likely to do.’
‘What does that mean?’
’It means this, my friend, that you had better
give the idea up. I have been thinking of it
all day, and I do not approve of it.’
‘What nonsense!’
’Of course you will say so, Conway. I
have observed of late that whatever I say to you is
called nonsense. I suppose it is the new fashion
that gentlemen should so express themselves, but I
am not quite sure that I like it.’
