"I think I shall be somewhat afraid of that young person," said Luke with a laugh. "She is one of the independent kind I noticed at our wedding."
"She is a darling, and I know you will love her. But I own that at times she is an enfant terrible, one never knows what she is going to say next. One thing, however, we may be sure of, she is absolutely true, and says what she really thinks. You must prepare for the worst," she added, laughing, "and you must overlook her faults. I shall not forgive you if you don't love her. To me she is a most fascinating little thing."
And Gwen arrived the next day. She was a girl of fifteen, tall and slim, not exactly pretty; but there was a charm about her that could not be denied, and Rachel, as she met her at the station, could not help hugging her. She was a bit of home, fresh and sweet; and carried about with her the atmosphere of golden cornfields and scented hedges. Rachel had not seen anything so fresh and full of life since leaving home.
On the other hand Gwen had never seen anything like the darkness and dirt of the town through which she was passing to Rachel's home. She grew silent as they drove through the streets.
Rachel wondered what she was thinking of, and tried to distract her attention by questions about her mother and sister; but only received short answers and in an absent tone of voice.
At last they reached number 8 Wentworth Road.
"Is this it?" asked Gwen incredulously.
"Yes. It is not pretty, but I have tried to make it nice inside; and have quite got to love it," answered Rachel. She was a little distressed at Gwen's tone of voice.
When they had given directions to the cabman to leave the luggage a few doors further up, Rachel took her sister over the house, and they finally settled down by the drawing-room fire, as the evenings were beginning to get chilly; though they had not begun fires, Rachel was bent on having one on the day of Gwen's arrival.
Gwen drew her chair up almost into the fender, and then clasping her hands behind her head said, "Now I will answer your questions properly about home. I really couldn't do so in that awful cab and passing through the town. What a place it is!"