"And who was she?" I inquired, with as much indifference as I could assume.
"Oh! the last lineal descendant of the elder branch of the family and the last heiress of this old estate; she married her first cousin, Wolfgang Van Der Vaughan."
"And what was her history and her fate?" I inquired, striving to restrain the betrayal of the intense interest I felt.
"Oh, her history was as painful as her fate was tragic."
"And—well?"
"Hush! there is some one coming! I will tell you another time!"
It was Mrs. Legare who entered, and smiling a sort of salutation to me, and opening a letter she held in her hand, said:
"My dear Mathilde, we are to have more company. Your cousin Rachel Noales is coming; she will be here this afternoon!"
"Oh! I should be so glad if we only had room for her!" exclaimed Mathilde, impulsively, and then she blushed deeply in having spoken thus freely of their crowded state in the presence of a guest.
"My dear Mathilde," said I, "as mine is a double-bedded chamber, I should be very happy to have Miss Rachel for a roommate; that is, if it would be agreeable to herself."