"I'll go and find Elizabeth," said the widow, "and appear after the old maid gets nicely settled."
Mrs. Harrington darted away, and just made her escape as Dolf opened the hall-door to admit the guests.
The father and daughter were ushered into the room where Elsie and Tom sat, looking demure and harmless as two kittens.
"Here we are again, you see," said the stout man; "no one can resist your fascinations, Miss Elsie."
"Pa would stop," said Miss Jemima, "though I told him it was a shame to come so often."
The truth was, the spinster's appetite had warned her that it was quite luncheon time, and recollecting the bounteous repasts always spread at Piney Cove, she had graciously assented to her parent's proposal that they should call.
"I am delighted to see you," said Elsie, shaking hands as if they were her dearest friends; "my brother and sister will be down in a moment; you must stay to luncheon, of course."
"No, oh, no," said Miss Jemima, glancing at Tom through her scant eyelashes. "We couldn't think of it!"
"But you must, you shall!" said Elsie. "Let me present Mr. Fuller."
The spinster curtseyed and looked grimly propitious. Tom was nearly out of his wits; while Mr. Rhodes talked to him he saw Elsie whisper to Miss Jemima, and felt perfectly certain that she had given the threatened information about his being a rich bachelor in search of a wife.