the little Polish lady was exceedingly fond of this
girl; and she resolved to go at all hazards and see whether something
could not be done to put matters straight. She would call at the
chambers in Lisle Street, and make sure of seeing Mr. Lind alone. She
would venture to remind him that his daughter was grown up--a woman, not
to be treated as a child. As she had been altogether on the father's
side in arguing with Natalie, so she would be altogether on the
daughter's side in making these representations to Mr. Lind. Perhaps
some happy compromise would result.

She was, however, exceedingly nervous when, on the following afternoon,
she called at Lisle Street, and was preceded up-stairs by the stout old
German. In the room into which she was shown Reitzei was seated. Reitzei
received her very graciously; they were old friends. But although Madame
Potecki on ordinary occasions was fond of listening to the sound of her
own voice, she seemed now quite incapable of saying anything. Reitzei
had been fortunate enough to hear the new barytone sing at a private
house on the previous evening; she did not even ask what impression had
been produced.

Then Mr. Lind came into the room, and Reitzei left.

"How do you do, Madame Potecki?" said he, somewhat curtly.

She took it that he was offended because she had come on merely private
affairs to his place of business; and this did not tend to lessen her
embarrassment. However, she made a brave plunge.

"You are surprised," she said, "to find me calling upon you here, are
you not? Yes; but I will explain. You see, my dear friend, I wished to
see you alone--"

"Yes, yes, Madame Potecki; I understand. What is your news?"

"It is--about Natalie," she managed to say, and then all the methods of
beginning that she had studied went clean out of her mind; and she was
reduced to an absolute silence.

He did not seem in the least impatient.

"Yes; about Natalie?" he repeated, taking up a paper-knife, and
beginning to write imaginary letters on the leather of the desk before
him.

"You will say to me, 'Why do you interfere?'" the little woman managed
to say at last. "Meddlers do harm; they are not thanked. But then, my
dear friend, Natalie is like my own child to me; for her what would I
not do?"

Mr. Lind could not fail to see that his visitor was very nervous and
agitated: perhaps it was to give her time to compose herself that he
said, leisurely,

"Yes, Madame Potecki; I kno