"If you will call at this hour two days from now, I shall have the address," he said, slowly.
CHAPTER XXIV.
Much to the delight of Doctor Covert, the little beauty did call again, at the very hour he had set. But his pleasure had one drawback to it, she was heavily veiled. But, for all that, he knew how lovely was the face that veil concealed, how bright the eyes, how charming the dimples, how white the pearly teeth, how sweet the ripe red cheeks, so like Cupid's bow.
He could not conceal his great joy at beholding her again. She noticed his emotion at once. He would not have been so well pleased if he could have seen how her red lip curled in scorn as she said to herself:
"Fools fall in love with a pretty face on sight; but it is another thing to get a desirable man to fall in love. They are hard to win. I have heard of this Doctor Covert before. True, he did go to college with Jay Gardiner, and is his chum; but one is rich and the other poor."
"I hope you have been successful," murmured Sally, giving him her little white hand to hold for an instant—an instant during which he was intensely happy.
"Yes, my dear miss," he answered, quickly. "I am overjoyed to think I can be of service to you—in a way, at least. I did not communicate with Doctor Gardiner, for it occurred to me just after you left that I had heard him mention the name; but I am sure there is a mistake somewhere. This girl—Bernardine—whom I refer to, and whom Doctor Gardiner knows, can not possibly be a friend of yours, miss, for she is only the daughter of an humble basket-maker, and lives on the top floor of a tenement house in one of the poorest parts of the city."
Sally Pendleton's amazement was so great she could hardly repress the cry of amazement that arose to her lips.
She had never for an instant doubted that this beautiful Bernardine, who had won the proud, unbending heart of haughty Jay Gardiner, was some great heiress, royal in her pomp and pride, and worth millions of money. No wonder Doctor Covert's words almost took her breath away.
"Are you quite sure?" she responded, after a moment's pause. "Surely, as you remarked, then there must be some mistake."