"Not I."

"Why not?"

"It might be Miss Elise, if--"

"If what?"

"I am not accustomed to see young ladies in their homes. I have only
fancied sometimes what a pretty girl might be in her father's house."

"Well, sir?" said Spener impatiently.

"A young lady like Miss Elise would have a great deal to say, I should
suppose."

"Is she dumb? I thought she could talk. I should have said so."

"I should have guessed, too, that she would always be singing about
the house."

"And if not--what then?"

"Something must be going wrong somewhere. So you see it can't be Miss
Elise, according to my judgment."

Spener laughed when this conclusion was reached.

"Come here again within a month and see if she can talk and sing,"