"You needn't give yourself the trouble of calling at all, Miss Ellison," replied Mr. Burgess. "The moment I have seen the person of whom we were speaking, I will either call upon your mother or send her a note."
"You are very kind," dropped almost involuntarily from Lucy's lips, as, with a graceful inclination of her body, she drew her veil over her face, and, turning from the merchant, walked quickly away.
When Paul went home at dinner-time, he said to his wife, "I am sure you couldn't guess who I had for a visitor this morning."
"Then of course it would be useless for me to try," replied the wife, smiling. "Who was it?"
"You know the Ellisons?"
"Yes."
"Mr. Ellison, you remember, died about a year ago."
"Yes."
"At the time of his death it was rumoured that his estate was involved, but never having had any business transactions with him, I had no occasion to investigate the matter, and did not really know what had been the result of its settlement. This morning I was greatly surprised to receive a visit from Lucy Ellison, who had grown up into a beautiful young woman."
"Indeed!" ejaculated the wife. "And what did she want?"