Mrs. Carter rose at last, but she still appeared to be embarrassed.
"There is something else I want to say to you, Miss Carlton. An apology, this time. I know now that you are the same girl my son rescued in the swamp and brought home to our house. The girl to whom I was so rude.... I—I want to beg your pardon."
It was a great deal from a woman of Mrs. Carter's dignity and importance, and Linda was deeply touched.
"This is very sweet of you, Mrs. Carter," she said. "And of course I understand how you felt at the time. I'm only too glad to forget all about it.... And," she added, holding out her hand, "I'll go to your son's rescue, as he has twice gone to mine—as soon as my Daddy comes."
Still the visitor hesitated, even after she had shaken hands with both the girls, and had reached the doorway.
"Would you girls consider bringing your families out to our home, to spend the weekend with us?" she asked, more as one seeking than as one bestowing a favor.
Dot did not answer this time; she looked inquiringly at Linda.
"It would be lovely," replied the latter, with genuine enthusiasm. "But I am afraid there are too many of us. You see there are two friends with us now—Mr. and Mrs. Mackay, who picked us up in Havana—and there are two more with our fathers on the yacht. With my aunt and Dot's mother, it will make ten in all. And that is too big a crowd for any place but a hotel!"
"Not at all!" protested Mrs. Carter. "I should love it. We have plenty of room, and plenty of servants—and we enjoy house-parties. How I shall look forward to seeing your mother, Dorothy!... You will come, won't you, girls—as soon as the whole party is together?"