The Merediths and the Belassis’ were not on intimate terms, but there had never been any coldness between them. Michael Meredith did not trouble himself with matters which did not concern him; and Maud’s complaints about her uncle and aunt never made any impression upon him, neither did he pay any heed to the hints he heard dropped from time to time as to the honesty of the ex-lawyer. His own finances were not in the hands of Belassis. He had never heard that his old friend Debenham had doubted his brother-in-law’s integrity; and so he had no grudge against Belassis, and always received his wife or daughters with his customary gentle _empressement_. Mrs. Belassis could be very suave and gentle when it suited her purpose; and her concern over the blind man’s illness, her anxiety to learn its every detail, and the interest she evinced in the whole subject, quite won Meredith’s heart; for if there was one thing he loved to discuss more than another, it was himself and his sensations, and a new and interested listener was an immense acquisition. Mrs. Belassis skilfully led him on to speak more and more, until the luncheon-bell broke in upon the interview, and with an apology for her lengthy visit she rose to depart. ‘No, no, my dear madam; indeed I cannot permit you to leave so suddenly. Your kind visit has quite cheered me up. You really must remain and partake of our simple mid-day meal. I want to introduce to you my young friend Signor Pagliadini, who is at present our guest. He is a most intelligent young man, quite an acquisition to the neighbourhood; only, unluckily, he does not speak English.’ ‘Who is he?’ asked Mrs. Belassis, with interest. ‘A young Italian, of good birth and considerable wealth, I believe. A relative of my wife’s, Signor Mattei of Florence, knows him, and sent him to me with an introduction. He has known him for many years, and speaks highly of his talent and love of art.’ ‘Is he going to make any stay here?’ ‘I do not think his plans are made; but I hope to induce him to be my guest for some days to come. Philip, I think, will join with me in persuading him to remain in our part of the world; for he knows him well, I find. They were quite intimate friends, I believe, at one time.’ ‘Indeed!’ ‘Yes; he speaks very highly of our dear Philip, as everyone does. I think my dear Roma is to be congratulated, as well as Philip, upon the way in which matters have turned out.’ ‘What!’ ‘Ah, did you not know? Well, young people do like a little bit of mystery and secrecy, so I must not betray them. However, my dear madam, we have not grown so old, you and I, that we have lost our sympathy for the first romance of a young love. And now, let me give you my arm to the dining-room, and I shall then have the pleasure of making known to you my young Italian friend.’