"There is great gloom over the house, it is all sad and dark; but the brightness will come back in time." I touched the white hand she held out to me; it was warm and soft; the touch of those slender fingers had a magical effect.
"I must apologize for not having seen you before," I said, "but until five minutes ago I did not know you were in the house." "No," she replied, with a faint sigh, "I can believe that." "You must know," I continued, "that I am a complete stranger to the family.

I never saw any of them in my life.

I never heard the name more than five or six times." "Then, as a matter of course," she said, "you never heard of me." "I am at a loss to know whether I should address you as kinswoman or not," was my confused reply.
"It would take a bench of lawyers to decide," she said.

"My mother was a favorite cousin of Sir Barnard.

I think, but I am not sure, that once upon a time he was fond of her himself.