Clarissa made some excuse to see her old admirer frequently. She was taking lessons in painting, perhaps. Miss Granger observed that she painted more than usual lately--merely for the sake of seeing him. And how about George Fairfax? Well, that flirtation, of course, was of later date and a less serious affair. Jealousy--a new kind of jealousy, more bitter even than that which she had felt when Clarissa came between her and her father--sharpened Miss Granger's suspicions in this case. She was jealous even of that supposed flirtation at Belforet, four or five years ago. She was angry with Clarissa for having once possessed this man's heart; ready to suspect her of any baseness in the past, any treason in the present. The Grangers were at Madame Caballero's two or three evenings after this revelation of Warman's, and Sophia had an opportunity of gleaning some scraps of information from the good-natured little lion-huntress. Madame had been asking her if Mr. Austin's portraits had been a success. "Yes; papa thinks they are excellent, and talks about having them exhibited in the salon. Mr. Austin is really very clever. Do you know, I was not aware that he was married, till the other day?" Sophia added, with a careless air. "Indeed! Yes, there is a wife, I understand; but she never goes into society; no one hears of her. For my part I think him charming." "Has he been long in Paris?" Madame Caballero shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know," she said. "I have only known of his existence since he became famous--in a small way--a very small way, of course. He exhibited some military sketches, which attracted the attention of a friend of mine, who talked to me about him. I said at once, 'Bring him here. I can appreciate every order of genius, from Ary Scheffer to Gavarni.' The young man came, and I was delighted with him. I admitted him among my intimates; and he insisted on painting the picture which your papa was good enough to admire." "Do you know how he lived before he came into notice--if he has ever been a drawing-master, for instance?" "I know that he has given lessons. I have heard him complain of the drudgery of teaching." This sustained Miss Granger's theory. It seemed so likely. No other hypothesis presented itself to her mind. Day by day she watched and waited and speculated, hearing of all Clarissa's movements from the obsequious Warman, who took care to question Mrs. Granger's coachman in the course of conversation, in a pleasant casual manner, as to the places to which he had taken his mistress. She waited and made no sign. There was treason going on. The climax and explosion would come in good time.