utterbuck
friendship,--either in its past or present existence, as described
by Madalina. Indeed, he did not put strong faith in anything that
Madalina said to him. In the handsome gentleman with two thousand
a year, he did not believe at all. But the handsome gentleman had
only been mentioned once in the course of his acquaintance with Miss
Demolines, whereas Maria Clutterbuck had come up so often! "Upon my
word I must wish you good-by," he said. "It is going on for eleven
o'clock, and I have to start to-morrow at seven."

"What difference does that make?"

"A fellow wants to get a little sleep, you know."

"Go, then;--go and get your sleep. What a sleepy-headed generation
it is." Johnny longed to ask whether the last generation was less
sleepy-headed, and whether the gentleman with two thousand a year
had sat up talking all night before he pressed his foot for the last
time on his native soil; but he did not dare. As he said to himself
afterwards, "It would not do to bring the Bayswater romance too
suddenly to its termination!" "But before you go," she continued,
"I must say the word to you about that picture. Did you speak to Mr
Dalrymple?"

"I did not. I have been so busy with different things that I have not
seen him."

"And now you are going?"

"Well,--to tell the truth, I think I shall see him to-night, in spite
of my being so sleepy-headed. I wrote him a line that I would look in
and smoke a cigar with him if he chanced to be at home!"

"And that is why you want to go. A gentleman cannot live without his
cigar now."

"It is especially at your bidding that I am going to see him."

"Go then.--and make your friend understand that if he continues this
picture of his, he will bring himself to great trouble, and will
probably ruin the woman for whom he professes, I presume, to feel
something like friendship. You may tell him that Mrs. Van Siever has
already heard of it."

"Who told her?" demanded Johnny.

"Never mind. You need not look at me like that. It was not I. Do you
suppose that secrets can be kept when so many people know them? Every
servant in Maria's house knows all about it."

"As for that, I don't suppose Mrs. Broughton makes any great secret of
it."

"Do you think she has told Mr. Broughton? I am sure she has not. I may
say I know she has not. Maria Clutterbuck is infatuated. There is no
other excuse to be made for her."

"Good-by," said Johnny, hurriedly.

"And you really are going?