"
"No! no! nothing of the sort," interposed Valentine, good-naturedly.
"Pray take something to warm you. I am quite ashamed of my want of
consideration in keeping you standing so long, when I ought to have
remembered that you were not used to being a painter's model. I hope I
have not given you cold--"
"Given me cold?" repeated Mat, amazedly. He seemed about to add a
sufficiently indignant assertion of his superiority to any such
civilized bodily weakness, as a liability to catch cold--but just as
the words were on his lips, he looked fixedly at Mr. Blyth, and checked
himself.
"I am afraid you must be tired with the long sitting you have so kindly
given me," added Valentine.
"No," answered Mat, after a moment's consideration; "not tired. Only
sleepy. I'd best go home. What's o'clock?"
A reference to young Thorpe's watch showed that it was ten minutes past
ten. Mat held out his hand directly to take leave; but Valentine
positively refused to let him depart until he had helped himself to
something from the supper-table. Hearing this, he poured out a glass of
brandy and drank it off; then held out his hand once more, and said
good night.
"Well, I won't press you to stay against your will," said Mr.
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