end too much money?"

"No; I didn't mean that exactly. Of course she ought to be moderate,
and I hope she is. To that kind of fevered existence profuse
expenditure is perhaps necessary. But I was thinking of something
else. I fear she is a little giddy."

"Dear me! I should have thought she was too--too--too--"

"You mean too old for anything of that kind. Maria Broughton must be
thirty-three if she's a day."

"That would make you just twenty-five," said Johnny, feeling
perfectly sure as he said so that the lady whom he was addressing was
at any rate past thirty!

"Never mind my age, Mr. Eames; whether I am twenty-five, or a
hundred-and-five, has nothing to do with poor Maria Clutterbuck. But
now I'll tell you why I mention all this to you. You must have seen
how foolish she is about your friend Mr. Dalrymple?"

"Upon my word, I haven't."

"Nonsense, Mr. Eames; you have. If she were your wife, would you like
her to call a man Conway? Of course you would not. I don't mean to
say that there's anything in it. I know Maria's principles too well
to suspect that. It's merely because she's flighty and fevered."

"That fevered existence accounts for it all," said Johnny.

"No doubt it does," said Miss Demolines, with a nod of her head,
which was intended to show that she was willing to give her friend
the full benefit of any excuse which could be offered for her. "But
don't you think you could do something, Mr. Eames?"

"I do something?"

"Yes, you. You and Mr. Dalrymple are such friends! If you were just to
point out to him you know--"

"Point out what? Tell him that he oughtn't to be called Conway?
Because, after all, I suppose that's the worst of it. If you mean to
say that Dalrymple is in love with Mrs. Broughton, you never made a
greater mistake in your life."

"Oh, no; not in love. That would be terrible, you know." And Miss
Demolines shook her head sadly. "But there may be so much mischief
done without anything of that kind! Thoughtlessness, you know, Mr
Eames,--pure thoughtlessness! Think of what I have said, and if you
can speak a word to your friend, do. And now I want to ask you
something else. I'm so glad you are come, because circumstances have
seemed to make it necessary that you and I should know each other. We
may be of so much use if we put our heads together." Johnny bowed
when he heard this, but made no immediate reply. "Have you heard
anything about a certain picture that is being planned?"