sitors at Mr. Blyth's that evening; and then, on being
reminded that Valentine had expressly said at parting, "Nobody but
ourselves," asked if they were likely to see the painter's wife
downstairs. After the inquiry had of necessity been answered in the
negative, he went on to a third question, and desired to know whether
"the young woman" (as he persisted in calling Madonna) might be expected
to stay upstairs with Mrs. Blyth, or to show herself occasionally in the
painting-room. Zack answered this inquiry also in the negative--with
a running accompaniment of bad jokes, as usual. Madonna, except under
extraordinary circumstances, never came down into the studio in the
evening, when Mr. Blyth had company there.

Satisfied on these points, Mat now wanted to know at what time Mr. Blyth
and his family were accustomed to go to bed; and explained, when Zack
expressed astonishment at the inquiry, that he had only asked this
question in order to find out the hour at which it would be proper
to take leave of their host that night. On hearing this, young Thorpe
answered as readily and carelessly as usual, that the painter's family
were early people, who went to bed before eleven o'clock; adding, that
it was, of course, particularly necessary to leave the studio in good
time on the occasion referred to, because Valentine would most probably
start for the country next day, by one of the morning trains.

Mat's next question was preceded by a silence of a few minutes. Possibly
he was thinking in what terms he might best put it. If this were the
case, he certainly decided on using the briefest possible form of
expression, for when he spoke again, he asked in so many words, what
sort of a woman the painter's wife was.

Zack characteristically answered the inquiry by a torrent of his most
superlative eulogies on Mrs. Blyth; and then, passing from the lady
herself to the chamber that she inhabited, wound up with a magnificent
and exaggerated description of the splendor of her room.

Mat listened to him attentively; then said he supposed Mrs. Blyth
must be fond of curiosities, and all sorts of "knick-knack things from
foreign parts." Young Thorpe not only answered the question in the
affirmative, but added, as a private expression of his own opinion, that
he believed these said curiosities and "knick-knacks" had helped,
in their way, to keep her alive by keeping her amused. From this, he
digressed to a long narrative of poor Mrs. Blyth