"Nor I," responded Martine, "though Edith often writes to me."
"That's why Balfour and Audrey seem so familiar to me," added Priscilla, whose family were on rather intimate terms with Mrs. Blair.
"I never heard even mamma speak of Mrs. Blair by her first name," continued Martine. "Of course I must have known that it was Audrey, but I had never noticed the Balfour before."
"Well, if Balfour is a family name of Mrs. Blair's it must be of your mother's also; or at least it probably is."
"In that case," said Martine, "then Balfour and I may be cousins."
"I wish that Eunice and I were cousins." Priscilla's wistful tone was in contrast to the brighter one in which Martine had spoken.
"What's in a name?" continued the latter. "I dare say it's only the merest happening that these names are alike."
"I was going to suggest," commented Mrs. Redmond, "that it might be wiser not to build your hopes too high, although I'll admit that there may be some connection between the two families."
"What pleases me the most," said Martine, "is to think of Mrs. Blair's disgust when she hears that her family names belong also to people in Nova Scotia."
"And one of them a grocer's clerk," added Amy, whereupon Martine colored deeply.