Sebastian, whether intentionally or not, showed himself in his best mood, and putting aside both cynicism and indifference, discussed the subjects earnestly, and incidentally displayed how much thought and attention he had really given to them. Mr. Blisset, greatly delighted at finding so cultivated a listener, was also in a happier and more hopeful mood than usual. Adrienne’s eyes were fixed upon that monotonous embroidery. It is to be presumed that she did not see the repeated glances, half of inquiry, half of surprise, with which Sebastian’s eyes continually sought her face. He knew that she could talk on such subjects. Mr. Blisset’s reiterated appeal to her--‘Eh, Adrienne?’ ‘Don’t you think so, my dear?’--showed Sebastian that she was not accustomed to sit in silence at the feet of even so great a philosopher as her uncle; and yet she was silent now, merely answering when spoken to, as briefly as possible. At length came a pause, and Sebastian hastened to make use of it. ‘How do you like England, Miss Blisset?’ ‘I can hardly say, seeing that I only know Thanshope.’ ‘Thanshope, then, as compared with the Continent in general?’ ‘I like it,’ said Adrienne, ‘because I have found a home in it, and because I am useful to some one--am I not, uncle?’ ‘Necessary, my dear, necessary.’ ‘There, you see! necessary!’ said Adrienne. ‘But you used to rejoice so intensely in the sunshine, and the poetry, and the beauty of those foreign lands.’ ‘Yes, I did.’ ‘Wetzlar, for instance. Do you remember how delighted you were? how you sat dreaming by Goethe’s Brunnen, and how you seated yourself in Lotte Buff’s parlour, and looked round, and could scarcely speak?’ ‘Ah, yes!’ said Adrienne, her eyes lighting up at the remembrance, and a smile stealing over her face; ‘but that was very enchanted ground, you know.’ ‘And you struck a few chords on that piano; that “old, tuneless instrument,” on which Goethe had played to Lotte, and then drew back, quite ashamed of your own audacity--you must remember?’ ‘Did I ever say I did not remember?’ said Adrienne, a tremor in her voice as she looked up and found Sebastian leaning forward, his chin in his hand, and his eyes fixed upon her face. Something in the expression of those eyes seemed to cause Adrienne some emotion. Her colour rose. Mr. Blisset had opened a newspaper which his servant had brought in, and was apparently buried behind it. Sebastian, his eyes still fixed upon the young lady’s troubled face, said softly, ‘Don’t you think Wetzlar was the most sunshiny place you were ever in?’ ‘At least the sun began to shine for me there,’ she said quickly, and looking towards him with a sudden, deeper glance than before. He smiled. ‘I think, for me too.’ Then, seeing that she looked still more downcast, he added, ‘But we shall meet again, I hope, and then we can discuss those old days. I was going to ask, have you many friends here?’