u did ask her
questions,--I see you did, you asked her about her father and brought
on another catastrophe.'

'No,' said Wilderspin with gentle dignity; 'I was careful not to ask
her questions, for her mother told me that she was liable to fits.'

'Mr. Wilderspin, I beg your pardon,' I said.

'I see you are deeply troubled,' said he; 'but, Mr. Aylwin, you need
not beg my pardon. Since I saw Mary Wilderspin, my mother, die for
her children, no words of mere Man have been able to give me pain.'

'Go on, go on. What did the woman say to you?'

'She said, "The fewer questions you ask her the better, and don't pay
her any money. She'd only lose it; I'll come for it at the proper
times." From that day the model came to the sittings alone, and Mrs.
Gudgeon came at the end of every week for the money.'

'And did the model maintain her silence all this time?'

'She did. She would, every few minutes, sink into a reverie, and
appear to be stone-deaf. But sometimes her face would become suddenly
alive with all sorts of shifting expressions. A few days ago she had
another fit, exactly like the former one. That was on the day
preceding my call at your hotel with your father's books. This time
we had much more difficulty in bringing her round. We did so at last;
and when she was gone I gave the final touch to my picture of "The
Lady Geraldine and Christabel." I was at the moment, however, at work
upon "Ruth and Boaz," which I had painted years before--removing the
face of Ruth originally there. I worked long at it; and as she was
not coming for two days I kept steadily at the picture. This was the
day on which I called upon you, wishing you to postpone your visit,
lest you should interrupt me while at work upon the head of Ruth,
which I was hoping to paint. On Thursday I waited for her at the
appointed hour, but she did not come, and I saw her no more.'

V

'Mr. Wilderspin,' I said, as I rose hurriedly, with the intention of
going at once in search of Winifred, 'let me see the picture you
allude to--"Christabel," and then tell me where to find her.'

'Better not see it!' said Wilderspin solemnly; 'there's something to
tell you yet, Mr. Aylwin.'

'Yes, yes; but let me see the picture first. I can bear anything now.
Howsoever terrible it may be, I can bear it now; for she's
found--she's safe.' And I rushed into the next room, and began
turning round in a wild manner one after another some dozens of
canvases that were sta