In the meantime the carriage swept on up through the wide streets of the upper part of the city—streets so different from the narrow, busy thoroughfares below, or down town—and in a little more than half an hour, passed in cheery talk, mostly kept up by Lizzie Legare, it drew up before a marble mansion on the finest avenue in the great city.
“Here we are at home!” cried Mr. Legare, as the carriage door flew open, “and there is my dear son, Frank, to welcome us. Frank, my boy, this is Miss Butler. Mr. W—— you already know.”
Frank bowed most respectfully to Hattie, as he extended his hand to help her from the carriage, and he cast a mischievous glance at Lizzie, as the latter sprang out, and taking Hattie’s arm as if she were a dear old friend, drew her up the steps, saying:
“We’ll run to my room, dear, to take off our things and dash some water in our faces before tea.”
And when Hattie came down to tea with Lizzie, just ten minutes later, her beautiful hair was all down over her shoulders, and a real lace collarette was around her neck, and she looked, even in her plain calico dress, as beautiful as beautiful could be; and Lizzie had kissed her twenty times when she was helping her to make her brief toilet.
At the tea-table Hattie was introduced to Mrs. Emory, whose long, yearning look fairly entered her soul. It seemed as if in Hattie she sought to find some favorite resemblance, so eagerly did she scan her face and form. She said:
“I have heard so much of you, and seen such talent exhibited in your drawings, Miss Butler, that I felt as if I could not sleep till I had seen you. Do not think me impertinent or intrusive. You look so good, so pure, so gentle, I know you will forgive me.”
“I am sure there is nothing to forgive. I was only too happy to come when they told me you were partially an invalid, and I could do you good by coming.”
“Bless you, dear child! bless you for it! After tea we will look at your drawings; there is one especially I wish to know all about.”
Nothing more of any special interest was said until tea was over, and then they all adjourned to the library to look over the drawings.