第102章

'I never spoke a word to her.'

'I do. I know them both--well.' There was something almost grandly tragic in Miss Demoline's voice as she thus spoke. 'Yes, Mr Eames, Iknow them well. If that scheme be continued, it will work terrible mischief. You and I must prevent it.'

'But I don't see what harm it will do.'

'Think of Conway Dalrymple passing so many hours in Maria's sitting-room upstairs! The picture is to be painted there, you know.'

'But Miss Van Siever will be present. Won't that make it all right?

What is there wrong about Miss Van Siever?'

'I won't deny that Clara Van Siever has a certain beauty of her own. To me she is certainly the most unattractive woman that I ever came near.

She is simply repulsive!' Hereupon Miss Demolines held up her hand as though she were banishing Miss Van Siever for ever from her sight, and shuddered slightly. 'Men think her handsome, and she is handsome. But she is false, covetous, malicious, cruel, and dishonest.'

'What a fiend in petticoats!'

'You may say that, Mr Eames. And then her mother! Her mother is not so bad. Her mother is different. But the mother is an odious woman, too. It was an evil day for Maria Clutterbuck when she first saw either the mother or the daughter. I tell you that in confidence.'

'But what can I do?' said Johnny, who began to be shattered and almost interested by the eagerness of the woman.

'I'll tell you what you can do. Don't let your friend go to Mr Broughton's house to paint the picture. If he does do it, there will be mischief come of it. Of course you can prevent him.'

'I should not think of trying to prevent him unless I knew why.'

'She's a nasty proud minx, and it would set her up ever so high--to think that she was being painted by Mr Dalrymple! But that isn't the reason. Maria would get into terrible trouble about it, there would be no end of mischief. I must not tell you more now, and if you do not believe me, I cannot help it. Surely, Mr Eames, my word may be taken as going for something? And when I ask you to help me in this, I do expect that you will not refuse me.' By this time Miss Demolines was sitting close to him, and had more than once put her hand upon his arm in the energy of her eloquence. Then as he remembered that he had never seen Miss Demolines till the other day, of Miss Van Siever, or even Mrs Dobbs Broughton, he bethought himself that it was all very droll. Nevertheless he had not objection to Miss Demolines putting her hand upon his arm.

'I never like to interfere in anything that does not seem to be my own business,' said Johnny.

'Is not your friend's business your own business? What does friendship mean if it not so? And when I tell you that it is my business, mine of right, does that go for nothing with you? I thought I might depend upon you, Mr Eames; I did indeed.' Then again she put her hand upon his arm, and as he looked into her eyes he began to think that after all she was good-looking in a certain way. At any rate she had fine eyes, and there was something picturesque about the entanglement of her hair. 'Think of it, and then come back and talk to me again,' said Miss Demolines.

'But I am going out of town tomorrow.'

'For how long?'

'For ten days.'

'Nothing can be done during that time. Clara Van Siever is going away in a day, and will not be back for three weeks. I happen to know that;so we have plenty of time for working. It would be very desirable that she should never even hear of it; but that cannot be hoped, as Maria has such a tongue! Couldn't you see Mr Dalrymple tonight?'

'Well, no; I don't think I could.'

'Mind, at least, that you come to me as soon as ever you return.'

Before he got out of the house, which he did after a most affectionate farewell, Johnny felt himself compelled to promise that he would come to Miss Demolines again as soon as he got back to town; and as the door was closed behind him by the boy in buttons, he made up his mind that he certainly would call as soon as he returned to London. 'It's as good as a play,' he said to himself. Not that he cared in the least for Miss Demolines, or that he would take any steps with the intention of preventing the painting of the picture. Miss Demolines had some battle to fight, and he would leave her to fight it with her own weapons. If his friend chose to paint a picture of Jael, and take Miss Van Siever as a model, it was no business of his. Nevertheless he would certainly go and see Miss Demolines again, because, as he said, she was as good as a play.