"I do not understand you, Miss ——," said the visitor.
"Of course not," said the temporary hostess. "I am such an odd jumble that nobody understands me, at first. But let me hope that I may make myself fully understood directly."
"May I ask your name, Miss ——?" again said the young girl, inquiringly.
"Certainly, you have a perfect right to my name," said Josephine. "I am called Josephine Harris, and I am a niece of Mrs. Halstead."
"Oh," said Mary Crawford; but whether she uttered the word in recognition or in depreciation, the other had no means of guessing.
"I said that I was going to ask a great favor of you," said the city girl, going on. "It is that you will remain in this room while I say some very strange things to you, and that you will try not to be hurt or angry with me until I have done."
"This is certainly very strange," said Mary Crawford. "What can I think?"
"Think that you are in the house of true friends, who would neither see you harmed nor insulted," said Josephine.
"Oh, I am sure of that," answered her companion.
"Then listen to me," said Josephine, "and whatever surprise you may feel, pray do not say it until you have heard all. Mrs. Halstead is not sick, and the note sent to you was written at my request, as the only means within my knowledge of inducing you to visit this house immediately."