"Models, madam, models," said the visitor, who became very thoughtful, and made a noise that sounded like "Soop!" as there was a pause, during which Mr Thickens took some tea. "Have you seen Sir Gordon lately?" said Miss Heathery at last. "No, madam. Back soon, though, I hope." "Ah!" sighed Miss Heathery, "do you think he will ever--ahem! marry now?" "Never, ma'am," said Thickens emphatically. "Too old." "Oh, no, Mr Thickens." "Oh, yes, Miss Heathery." There was another pause. "How beautiful Mrs Hallam grows! So pale, and sweet, and grave. She looks to me always, Mr Thickens, like some lovely lily. Dear Millicent, it seems only yesterday that she was married." Thickens started and moved uneasily, sending a pang that must have had a jealous birth through Miss Heathery's breast. "Seven years ago, Mr Thickens." "Six years, eleven months, two weeks, ma'am." "Ah, how exact you are, Mr Thickens!" "Obliged to be, ma'am. Interest to calculate." "But she looks thin, and not so happy as I could wish." "Yes, ma'am. No, ma'am," said Thickens, paradoxically. Again there was an uneasy change, for Mr Thickens's brow was puckered, and a couple of ridgy wrinkles ran across the top of his head. "And they make such a handsome pair." Thickens nodded and frowned, but became placid the next moment as his hostess said softly: "That sweet child!" "Hah! Yes! Bless her!--Hah! Yes! Bless her!--Hah! Yes! Bless her!" Miss Heathery stared, for her guest fired these ejaculations and benedictions at intervals in a quick, eager way, smiling the while, and with his eyes brightening. She stared more the next minute, and trembled as she heard her visitor's next utterance, and thought of a visit of his seven years ago when she was out, and which he had explained by saying that he had come to ask her if she would like a pair of gold-fish, that was all. For all at once Mr Thickens exclaimed with his eyes glittering: "If I had married I should have liked to have had a little girl like that." There was a terrible pause here, terrible to only one though: and then, in a hesitating voice, Miss Heathery went on, with that word "marriage" buzzing in her ears, and making her feel giddy. "Do you--do you think it's true, Mr Thickens?" "What, that I never married?" he said sharply. "No, no; oh, dear me, no!" cried Miss Heathery; "I mean that poor Mrs Hallam is terribly troubled about money matters, and that they are very much in debt?" "Don't know, ma'am; can't say, ma'am; not my business, ma'am." "But they say the doctor is terribly pinched for money too." "Very likely, ma'am. Every one is sometimes." "How dreadful!" exclaimed Miss Heathery. "Very, ma'am. No: nothing more, thank you. Get these things taken away, I want to talk to you."