"It's very simple, and you know something about it already." Then she was not mistaken--there was no chance of it.
She tried to look at him with smiling, sympathetic intelligence, while her whole being quivered in anticipation of the blow that was coming.

"Does it--does it concern another person ?" she faltered.
Kendal looked grave, and suffered an instant's compunction.
"It does--it does indeed," he assured her.

"It concerns Miss Elfrida Bell very much, in a way.

Ah!" he went on impatiently, as she still sat silent, "why are you so unnaturally dull, Janet?
I've finished that young woman's portrait, and it is more--satisfactory--than I ever in my life dared hope that any picture of mine would be." "Is that all ?" The words escaped her in a quick, breath of relief.

Her face was crimson, and the room seemed to swim.
"_All!_" she heard Kendal say reproachfully.