as possible, having in Clara's presence
overcome all that feeling of dislike which she had expressed to
Conway Dalrymple. Mrs. Broughton was generally affectionate to those
who were near her. Had Musselboro forced himself into her presence,
she would have become quite confidential with him before he left her.

"Mr. Musselboro will be here directly," said Mrs. Van Siever, as she
was starting for Mrs. Broughton's house. "You had better tell him to
come to me there; or, stop,--perhaps you had better keep him here
till I come back. Tell him to be sure and wait for me."

"Very well, mamma. I suppose he can wait below?"

"Why should he wait below?" said Mrs. Van Siever, very angrily.

Clara had made the uncourteous proposition to her mother with the
express intention of making it understood that she would have nothing
to say to him. "He can come upstairs if he likes," said Clara; "and I
will go up to my room."

"If you fight shy of him, miss, you may remember this,--that you will
fight shy of me at the same time."

"I am sorry for that, mamma, for I shall certainly fight shy of Mr
Musselboro."

"You can do as you please. I can't force you, and I shan't try. But
I can make your life a burden to you,--and I will. What's the matter
with the man that he isn't good enough for you? He's as good as any
of your own people ever was. I hate your new-fangled airs,--with
pictures painted on the sly, and all the rest of it. I hate such
ways. See what they have brought that wretched man to, and the poor
fool his wife. If you go and marry that painter, some of these days
you'll be very much like what she is. Only I doubt whether he has got
courage enough to blow his brains out." With these comfortable words,
the old woman took herself off, leaving Clara to entertain her lover
as best she might choose.

Mr. Musselboro was not long in coming, and, in accordance with Mrs
Van Siever's implied directions to her daughter, was shown up into
the drawing-room. Clara gave him her mother's message in a very few
words. "I was expressly told, sir, to ask you to stop, if it is not
inconvenient, as she very much wants to see you." Mr. Musselboro
declared that of course he would stop. He was only too happy to have
the opportunity of remaining in such delightful society. As Clara
answered nothing to this, he went on to say that he hoped that the
melancholy occasion of Mrs. Van Siever's visit to Mrs. Broughton might
make a long absence necessary,-