The girl nodded. "You know her?" whispered she.

"No," said I, "not exactly; but I think I can tell who she is. And so
she called to-day on Mrs. Daniels, did she."

"Yes, but I guess she knew master would be home before she got away."

"Come," said I, "tell me all about it; I'm getting impatient."

"And ain't I telling you?" said she. "It was about three o'clock this
afternoon, the time I go up stairs to dress, so I just hangs about in
the hall a bit, near the parlor door, and I hear her gossiping with
Mrs. Daniels almost as if she was an old friend, and Mrs. Daniels
answering her mighty stiffly and as if she was'nt glad to see her at
all. But the lady didn't seem to mind, but went on talking as sweet as
honey, and when they came out, you would have thought she loved the
old woman like a sister to see her look into her face and say
something about knowing how busy she was, but that it would give her
so much pleasure if she would come some day to see her and talk over
old times. But Mrs. Daniels was'nt pleased a bit and showed plain
enough she did'nt like the lady, fine as she was in her ways. She was
going to answer her too, but just then the front door opened and Mr.
Blake with his satchel in his hand, came into the house. And how he
did start, to be sure, when he saw them, though he tried to say
something perlite which she did'nt seem to take to at all, for after
muttering something about not expecting to see him, she put her hand
on the knob and was going right out. But he stopped her and they
went into the parlor together while Mrs. Daniels stood staring after
them like one mad, her hand held out with his bag and umbrella in it,
stiff as a statter in the Central Park. She did'nt stand so long,