Where shall I find him ?" "In his study," murmured Miss Bartley.
Walter returned, and the two ladies looked at each other steadily for one moment, and took stock of one another's dress, looks, character, and souls with supernatural rapidity.

Then Mary smiled, and motioned her visitor to a seat, and waited.
Miss Clifford made her approaches obliquely at first.
"I ought to apologize to you for not returning your call before this.

At any rate, here I am at last." "You are most welcome, Miss Clifford," said Mary, warmly.
"Now the ice is broken, I want you to call me Julia." "May I ?" "You may, and you must, if I call you Mary.

Why, you know we are cousins; at least I suppose so.

We are both cousins of Walter Clifford, so we must be cousins to each other." And she fixed her eyes on her fair hostess in a very peculiar way.
Mary returned this fixed look with such keen intelligence that her gray eyes actually scintillated.
"Mary, I seldom waste much time before I come to the point.