"And Mr. Melville?--does he still very seldom come here?"

"To say truth, he has not been at all since I settled at
Braefieldville. The place was left to my mother for her life, and I
was not much there during her occupation. In fact, I was then a
junior partner in our firm, and conducted the branch business in New
York, coming over to England for my holiday once a year or so. When
my mother died, there was much to arrange before I could settle
personally in England, and I did not come to settle at Braefieldville
till I married. I did see Melville on one of my visits to the place
some years ago; but, between ourselves, he is not the sort of person
whose intimate acquaintance one would wish to court. My mother told
me he was an idle, dissipated man, and I have heard from others that
he was very unsteady. Mr. -----, the great painter, told me that he
was a loose fish; and I suppose his habits were against his getting
on, till this year, when, perhaps, by a lucky accident, he has painted
a picture that raises him to the top of the tree. But is not Miss
Lily wondrously nice to look at? What a pity her education has been
so much neglected!"

"Has it?"

"Have not you discovered that already? She has not had even a
music-master, though my wife says she has a good ear, and can sing
prettily enough. As for reading I don't think she has read anything
but fairy tales and poetry, and such silly stuff. However, she is
very young yet; and now that her guardian can sell his pictures, it is
to be hoped that he will do more justice to his ward. Painters and
actors are not so regular in their private lives as we plain men are,
and great allowance is to be made for them; still, every one is bound