‘Want it!’ said Conway.  ‘I want to paint a striking picture.’

‘But you can do that without putting me into it.’

’No;—­not this picture.  And why should you object?  It is the commonest thing in the world for ladies to sit to artists in that manner.’

‘People would know it.’

’Nobody would know it, so that you need care about it.  What would it matter if everybody knew it?  We are not proposing anything improper;—­are we, Mrs Broughton?’

‘She shall not be pressed if she does not like it,’ said Mrs Broughton.  ’You know I told you before Clara came in, that I was afraid it could not be done.’

‘And I don’t like it,’ said Miss Van Siever, with some little hesitation in her voice.

‘I don’t see anything improper in it, if you mean that,’ said Mrs Broughton.

‘But, mamma!’

’Well yes; that is the difficulty, no doubt.  The only question is, whether your mother is not so very singular, as to make it impossible that you should comply with her in everything.’

‘I am afraid that I do not comply with her in very much,’ said Miss Van Siever in her gentlest voice.

‘Oh, Clara!’

’You drive me to say so, otherwise I should be a hypocrite.  Of course I ought not to have said it before Mr Dalrymple.’

’You and Mr Dalrymple will understand all about that, I daresay, before the picture is finished,’ said Mrs Broughton.

It did not take much persuasion on the part of Conway Dalrymple to get the consent of the younger lady to be painted, or of the elder to allow the sitting to go on in her room.  When the question of easels and other apparatus came to be considered, Mrs Broughton was rather flustered, and again declared with energy that the whole thing must fall to the ground; but a few more words from the painter restored her, and at last the arrangements were made.  As Mrs Dobbs Broughton’s dear friend, Madalina Demolines had said, Mrs Dobbs Broughton liked a fevered existence.  ’What will Dobbs Broughton say?’ she exclaimed more than once.  And it was decided at last that Dobbs should know nothing about it as long as it could be kept from him.  ‘Of course he shall be told at last,’ said his wife.  ’I wouldn’t keep anything from the dear fellow for all the world.  But if he knew it at first it would be sure to get through Musselboro to your mother.’

’I certainly shall beg that Mr Broughton may not be taken into confidence if Mr Musselboro is to follow,’ said Clara.  ’And it must be understood that I must cease to sit immediately, whatever may be the inconvenience, should mamma speak to me about it.’

This stipulation was made and conceded, and then Miss Van Siever went away, leaving the artist with Mrs Dobbs Broughton.  ’And now, if you please, Conway, you had better go too,’ said the lady, as soon as there had been time for Miss Van Siever to get downstairs and out of the hall-door.