Mrs. Spenceley, emerging from the cupboard, summoned them to the table; Sebastian felt as if it were a dream, as he handed Helena her chair, and took his place opposite her. No surroundings, however poor, could take away from the queenly beauty of her face and figure. She was indeed more queenly than she ever had been before, he thought, as he watched her across that simple board. The meal was soon over, and then Mrs. Spenceley, rising, said, ‘Mr. Mallory, you must excuse me if I leave you. I must first go and see about Their teas, and then I’ve promised to go and sit with Mrs. Woodford, next door but one. She’s a great friend of mine. Her husband’s father built most of the houses in this street, and was a rich man, but he never could keep anything, never! and now she pays a rent for the very house her father-in-law built. This world’s full of ups and downs.’ ‘It is indeed. Then I shall not see you again this evening?’ ‘Well, no. We shall most likely have a little supper together, and so I shall leave Helena and you to have a little chat. But I shall hope to see you again soon, Mr. Mallory, if you don’t mind coming all this way out of town.’ He hastened to assure her that he thought it a very nice drive, and not at all far; and Mrs. Spenceley, disturbed by the sound of a ring at the bell, said, ‘There’s Mr. Finlay! I must go. Good evening, Mr. Mallory.’ She was gone, and they were alone. Helena had taken her work-basket to a little table near the window, and had begun to embroider a little strip of muslin. Sebastian thought the sofa, which was just on the other side of the little table, offered a suitable place for the purposes of confidential conversation, and he went and sat down upon it. ‘Is there no one in Thanshope about whom you wish to inquire, Miss Spenceley?’ he began. ‘I--oh, how rude of me! I have never asked after Mrs. Mallory. How is she?’ ‘She is very well, thank you.’ ‘I am glad to hear it,’ said Helena, calmly; and Sebastian felt rather uncomfortable, for Mrs. Mallory had not displayed any interest in the Spenceley family since their downfall. ‘Do you see much of the Thanshope people?’ continued Helena, in the same calmly indifferent tone; not a resentful tone, but a politely conventional one, which was much more disagreeable to Sebastian than a resentful one would have been. It implied that Thanshope and all that therein lived had become a name, a memory, a thing of the past to her. ‘Do you visit much?’ she added; ‘go to many parties?’ ‘N--no. I am very busy. I am busy all day, and I don’t care much for the Thanshope people. All my near friends, those in whom I took an interest, I have lost.’ ‘How very distressing! How has that come to pass?’ ‘Hugo von Birkenau has gone to Germany. He is studying music, and intends to make a profession of it. He has begun to give lessons already.’ ‘Hugo give lessons!’ cried Helena, looking up surprised.