rious difficulty being thus disposed of, Valentine found leisure to
pay some attention to minor things. Among other questions which he now
asked, was one relating to the Hair Bracelet, and to the manner in which
Matthew had become possessed of it. He was answered by the frankest
confession, a confession which tried even _his_ kindly and forbearing
disposition to the utmost, as he listened to it; and which drew from
him, when it was ended, some of the strongest terms of reproach that had
ever passed his lips.

Mat listened till he had done; then, taking his hat to go, muttered a
few words of rough apology, which Valentine's good-nature induced him
to accept, almost as soon as they were spoken. "We must let bygones be
bygones," said the painter. "You have been candid with me, at last, at
any-rate; and, in recognition of that candor, I say 'Good-night, Mr.
Grice,' as a friend of yours still."

When Mat returned to Kirk Street, the landlady came out of her little
parlor to tell him of a visitor who had been to the lodgings in his
absence. An elderly lady, looking very pale and ill, had asked to see
young Mr. Thorpe, and had prefaced the request by saying that she was
his mother. Zack was then asleep, but the lady had been taken up stairs
to see him in bed--had stooped over him, and kissed him--and had then
gone away again, hastily, and in tears. Matthew's face grew grave as he
listened, but he said nothing when the landlady had done, except a word
or two charging her not to mention to Zack what had happened when he
woke. It was plain that Mrs. Thorpe had been told her husband's secret,
and that she had lovingly devoted herself to him, as comforter and
companion to the last.

When the doctor paid his regular visit to the invalid, the next morning,
he was called on immediately for an answer to the important question of
when Zack would be fit to travel. After due consideration and careful
inspection of the injured side of the patient's head, he replied that
in a month's time the lad might safely go on board ship; and that the
sea-voyage proposed would do more towards restoring him to perfect
health and strength, than all the tonic medicines that all the doctors
in England could prescribe.

Matthew might have found the month's inaction to which he was now
obliged to submit for Zack's sake, rather tedious, but for the opportune
arrival in Kirk Street of a professional visitor from Dibbledean.

Though his client had ungratef