came directly to explain the danger from which "Columbus" had escaped.
She tried hard to get away, and bear the intelligence to Mrs. Blyth;
but Lady Brambledown, feeling amiably unwilling to resign her too soon,
pitched on the poor engraver standing tremulous in the passage, as being
quite clever enough to carry a message up-stairs, and sent him off to
take the latest news from the studio to his daughter immediately.

Thus it was that when Mr. Blyth left Zack's friend to see what was going
on near the door, he found Madonna in the painting-room, surrounded
by sympathizing and admiring ladies. The first words of explanation by
which Lady Brambledown answered his mute look of inquiry, reminded him
of the anxiety and alarm that his wife must have suffered; and he ran
up-stairs directly, promising to be back again in a minute or two.

Mat carelessly followed Valentine to the group at the
doorway--carelessly looked over some ladies' bonnets--and saw Madonna,
offering her slate to the Dowager Countess at that moment.

The sweet feminine gentleness and youthful softness of the girl's face,
looked inexpressibly lovely, as she now stood shy and confused under the
eager eyes that were all gazing on her. Her dress, too, had never more
powerfully aided the natural attractions of her face and figure by its
own loveable charms of simplicity and modesty, than now, when the plain
grey merino gown, and neat little black silk apron which she always
wore, were contrasted with the fashionable frippery of fine colors
shining all around her. Was the rough Mr. Marksman himself lured at
first sight into acknowledging her influence? If he was, his face and
manner showed it very strangely.

Almost at the instant when his eyes fell on her, that clay-cold change
which had altered the color of his swarthy cheeks in the hosier's shop
at Dibbledean, passed over them again. The first amazed look that he
cast on her, slowly darkened, while his eyes rested on her face, into
a fixed, heavy, vacant stare of superstitious awe. He never moved,
he hardly seemed to breathe, until the head of a person before him
accidentally intercepted his view. Then he stepped back a few paces;
looked about him bewildered, as if he had forgotten where he was;
and turned quickly towards the door, as if resolved to leave the room
immediately.

But there was some inexplicable influence at work in his heart that drew
him back, in spite of his own will. He retraced his steps