"Now for it," breathed Grace, as they paused at the door of 47.
"Come in," said a sweet voice, in answer to the attendant's knock, and the five girls were ushered into Mrs. Allison's presence.
"How are my young friends, to-day!" she cried gayly, rising from the easy chair in which she was sitting and coming forward with out-stretched hands.
"Very well, indeed," replied Grace, Anne and Nora in a breath as they shook hands.
"Mrs. Allison," said Grace hurriedly, "these are my friends, Miss Jessica Bright and Miss Mabel Allison."
The woman who was in the act of acknowledging the introduction to Jessica started violently when Grace pronounced Mabel's name, dropped Jessica's hand and began to tremble as she caught sight of Mabel, who stood behind Jessica, an expression of amazement in her brown eyes, that the patient's name should be the same as her own.
"Who—who—" gasped the woman, pointing at Mabel, then overcome sank into her chair, covering her face with her hands.
Grace sprang to her side in an instant, kneeling beside her chair.
"Mrs. Allison," she cried impulsively. "Forgive me. I should not have startled you so. I did not really know, although I felt sure that—"
But Mrs. Allison had uncovered her face and was looking eagerly at Mabel, who stood the picture of mystification.