He seems to have neither kith nor kin, and yet--This is quite between ourselves, Mr.Bacon--" "Of course, Mrs.Tomlinson, quite." "Well, there is a picture in his room as he keeps veiled and locked up in a sort of shrine; but one day he forgot to turn the key, and I--I looked." "Naturally.

And what did you see ?" "The picture of a woman, dark, but, oh, so beautiful--as beautiful as an angel....

I thought it was, may be, a sweetheart or something, but she is too young for the likes of him." "Portraits are always the same; that picture may have been painted ages ago.

Always veiled is it?
That seems very mysterious, does it not ?" "It does; and I am just dying to know what the mystery is.

If you should happen to find out, and it's no secret, would you mind telling me ?" At this point Herr Geist appeared, whereupon Mrs.Tomlinson, with true feminine tact, changed the subject without waiting for a reply.
During the time I was laid up Mr.Fortescue came into my room almost every day, but never stayed more than a few minutes.