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What was the cause of the gloom over the house neither Conway Dalrymple nor Miss Van Siever understood, and to speak the truth Mrs Broughton did not quite understand the cause herself. She knew well enough, no doubt, that her husband came home always sullen, and sometimes tipsy, and that things were not going well in the City.
It had been understood that Clara was to wait at home till her mother should return before she again went across to Mrs Broughton. At about eleven Mrs Van Siever came in, and her daughter intercepted her at the dining-room door before she had made her way upstairs to Mr Musselboro. "How is she, mamma?" said Clara with something of hypocrisy in her assumed interest for Mrs Broughton.
All this fuss about it was irrational! He would not have made love to Clara Van Siever in her room if she had not told him to do so! "Maria," he said, in a very grave voice, "any sacrifice that is required on my part on your behalf I am ready to make." "No, sir; the sacrifices shall all be made by me. It is the part of a woman to be ever sacrificial!" Poor Mrs Dobbs Broughton!
But just now he was really thinking of matrimony, and had on this very morning acknowledged to himself that he had become sufficiently attached to Clara Van Siever to justify him in asking her to be his wife. In his present mood he was not anxious for one of those tilts with blunted swords and half-severed lances in the lists of Cupid of which Mrs Dobbs Broughton was so fond.
"And now will you tell me whether you have not heard the names of Jael and Miss Van Siever coupled together? I see you know all about it." "I have heard of it, certainly." "Of course you have. So have I, as you perceive.
But at last she gave way. "Honi soit qui mal y pense," she said; "that must be my protection." So she followed Miss Van Siever downstairs, leaving Mr Dalrymple in possession of her boudoir. "I shall give you just one hour," she said, "and then I shall come and turn you out."
Mr Mortimer Gazebee had in this way entangled Mr Crosbie in his web on behalf of those noble spiders, the De Courcys, and our poor friend, in his endeavour to fight his way through the web, had fallen into the hands of the Hook Court firm of Mrs Van Siever, Dobbs Broughton, and Musselboro. "Mr Broughton told me when I was last here," said Crosbie, "that there would be no difficulty about it."
Now, Mr Eames," and Miss Demolines' voice became tremulously eager as she addressed him, "it is your duty, and it is my duty, to take care that that picture shall never be painted." "But why should it not be painted?" "You don't know Miss Van Siever, yet." "Not in the least." "Nor Mrs Van Siever." "I never spoke a word to her." "I do. I know them both, well."
Something is wrong." Then it occurred to him that Musselboro had been sent to the house to tell the wife of the husband's ruin. "The servant told me that I should find you upstairs," said Musselboro. "Yes; I have been painting here. For some time past I have been doing a picture of Miss Van Siever. Mrs Van Siever has been here to-day."
Then Mrs Broughton returned, with that pleasant feeling in her bosom of having done her duty as a wife, a friend, and a Christian. "Mrs Broughton," continued the painter, "just steady Miss Van Siever's shoulder with your hand; and now bring the arm and the elbow a little more forward." "But Jael did not have a friend to help her in that way," said Miss Van Siever.
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