come to me at once. I know that you are to be back
to-morrow. Do not lose an hour if you can help it. I shall
be at home at half-past five. I fear what you know of has
begun. But it certainly shall not go on. In one way or
another it must be prevented. I won't say another word
till I see you, but pray come at once.

Yours always,

M. D. M.

Thursday.

Poor mother isn't very well, so you had better ask for me.

"Beautiful!" said Johnny, as he read the note. "There's nothing I
like so much as a mystery,--especially if it's about nothing. I
wonder why she is so desperately anxious that the picture should not
be painted. I'd ask Dalrymple, only I should spoil the mystery." Then
he sat himself down, and began to think of Lily. There could be no
treason to Lily in his amusing himself with the freaks of such a
woman as Miss Demolines.

At eleven o'clock on the morning of the 1st of March,--the day
following that on which Miss Demolines had written her note,--the
easel was put up and the canvas was placed on it in Mrs. Broughton's
room. Mrs. Broughton and Clara were both there, and when they had seen
the outlines as far as it had been drawn, they proceeded to make
arrangements for their future operations. The period of work was to
begin always at eleven, and was to be continued for an hour and a
half or for two hours on the days on which they met. I fear that
there was a little improper scheming in this against the two persons
whom the ladies were bound to obey. Mr. Dobbs Broughton invariably
left his house soon after ten in the morning. It would sometimes
happen, though not frequently, that he returned home early in the
day,--at four perhaps, or even before that; and should he chance to
do so while the picture was going on, he would catch them at their
work if the work were postponed till after luncheon. And then again,
Mrs. Van Siever would often go out in the morning, and when she did
so, would always go without her daughter. On such occasions she went
into the City, or to other resorts of business, at which, in some
manner quite unintelligible to her daughter, she looked after her
money. But when she did not go out in the morning, she did go out
in the afternoon, and she would then require her daughter's company.
There was some place to which she always went of a Friday morning,
and at which she stayed for two or three hours. Friday therefore was
a fitting day on which to begin the work