"Yes, Miss Marshall.
"That will do excellently. You will send your trunk here, of course. I should prefer to have you live with us."
This was something Mary had given no thought, but it sounded wonderful. No more boarding-house. And it would save money, too; there was no telling how much would be needed for the sick girl on the East Side.
Aunt Caroline rang a bell and asked the maid to serve tea.
"We'll have a little chat about terms and other things," she said comfortably.
The little chat lasted the better part of an hour, but it passed without embarrassments. The terms were beyond Mary's hopes. As for Aunt Caroline, she was quaint and captivating. Strange to say, she did not ask many more questions. For the most part, she talked about herself; occasionally she reverted to Mary's references which, it was obvious, had made an indelible impression. Mary discovered a prompt liking for the old lady, and the more she liked her the more shame she had in the masquerade she was playing. Only the desperate plight of a sick girl kept her nerved to the ordeal.
She was taking her leave when Aunt Caroline remarked casually:
"I feel sure that you will not find my nephew unduly exacting in the work he expects of you."
"Nephew?" asked Mary.