Sunday Julian should meet his cousin at the end of Gray's Inn Road
as usual. On that day the weather was fine, but Harriet came out in
no mood for a walk. She had been ailing for a day or two, she said,
and felt incapable of exertion; Mrs. Ogle was away from home for the
day, too, and it would be better they should spend the afternoon
together in the house. Julian of course assented, as always, and
they established themselves in the parlour behind the shop. In the
course of talk, the girl made mention of an engraving Julian had
given her a week or two before, and said that she had had it framed
and hung it in her bed-room.

"Do come up and look at it," she exclaimed; "there's no one in the
house. I want to ask you if you can find a better place for it. It
doesn't show so well where it is."

Julian hesitated for a moment, but she was already leading the way,
and he could not refuse to follow. They went up to the top of the
house, and entered a little chamber which might have been more tidy,
but was decently furnished. The bed was made in a slovenly way, the
mantelpiece was dusty, and the pictures on the walls hung askew.
Harriet closed the door behind them, and proceeded to point out the
new picture, and discuss the various positions which had occurred to
her. Julian would have decided the question as speedily as possible,
and once or twice moved to return downstairs, but each time the girl
found something new to detain him. Opening a drawer, she took out
several paltry little ornaments, which she wished him to admire,
and, in showing them, stood very close by his side. All at once the
door of the room was pushed open, and a woman ran in. On seeing the
stranger present, she darted back with an exclamation of surprise.