"

"Well,--yes. I suppose so."

"Go then. I have nothing more to say to you."

"I shall come and call directly I return," said Johnny.

"You may do as you please about that, sir."

"Do you mean that you won't be glad to see me again?"

"I am not going to flatter you, Mr. Eames. Mamma will be well by that
time, I hope, and I do not mind telling you that you are a favourite
with her." Johnny thought that this was particularly kind, as he had
seen so very little of the old lady. "If you choose to call upon
her," said Madalina, "of course she will be glad to see you."

"But I was speaking of yourself, you know?" and Johnny permitted
himself for a moment to look tenderly at her.

"Then from myself pray understand that I will say nothing to flatter
your self-love."

"I thought you would be kinder just when I was going away."

"I think I have been quite kind enough. As you observed yourself just
now, it is nearly eleven o'clock, and I must ask you to go away. Bon
voyage, and a happy return to you."

"And you will be glad to see me when I am back? Tell that you will be
glad to see me."

"I will tell you nothing of the kind. Mr. Eames, if you do, I will be
very angry with you." And then he went.

On his way back to his own lodgings he did call on Conway Dalrymple,
and in spite of his need for early rising, sat smoking with the
artist for an hour. "If you don't take care, young man," said his
friend, "you will find yourself in a scrape with your Madalina."

"What sort of a scrape?"

"As you walk away from Porchester Terrace some fine day, you will
have to congratulate yourself on having made a successful overture
towards matrimony."

"You don't think I am such a fool as that comes to?"

"Other men as wise as you have done the same sought of thing. Miss
Demolines is very clever, and I daresay you find it amusing."

"It isn't so much that she's clever, and I can hardly say that it is
amusing. One gets awfully tired of it, you know. But a fellow must
have something to do, and that is as good as anything else."

"I suppose you have not heard that one young man levanted last year
to save himself from a breach of promise case?"

"I wonder whether he had any money in Indian securities?"

"What makes you ask that?"

"Nothing particular."

"Whatever little he had he chose to save, and I think I heard that he
went to Canada. His name was Shorter; and they say that, on the eve
of his going, Madalina sent him wo