Nan heard the voice sounding down the hall, and darted, out, while Philip uttered another exclamation of disgust.
Nan never could overcome her dislike to the shop. She could hardly have told you why it was, but the butter and cheese and eggs in which Mrs. Rupert dealt were unpleasant to her, and as she ran down the dark hall, it was with a little shiver of dislike and of dread lest her aunt wanted her to "mind" the shop during her absence. Marian rather liked to perform this office, but Nan could never see any "fun" in it, and was always ready enough to change places with her cousin on holidays when they were all day at home. Before Nan reached the shop door she heard voices in pleasant though shrill tones, and going in, was a little startled by seeing a fashionably dressed young lady in earnest conversation with her aunt.
It was a scene Nan never forgot; the twilight of the cold spring day was just falling, and her aunt's stout figure, bending above a cheese, was in strong contrast to that of her visitor, a tall, slender young lady in a rich dress of dark silk, with beautiful furs, and long-wristed gray gloves. She had a handsome, delicate face, a little disdainful in expression, but very refined, and as Nan entered she turned lovely blue eyes toward her.
Nan half drew back, with her hand still on the door.
"Come in, child," said her aunt, in her most excited tones. "Don't hang back that way. Here's a lady wants particular to see you."
"To see me!" Nan gasped. She had never in her life had a special visitor before, but the stranger made things easy at once for her. She went up to little Nan, holding out her beautifully gloved hands.
"How do you do, my dear?" she said, in a soft, sweet voice. "I am your second cousin Phyllis."
"You—I—" Nan began, and felt as if the little shop, cheeses and all, was dancing about her. Could this beautiful lady be one of those who were "rolling in money"?
"Yes, dear," said the lady again. "I have come especially to see you." She turned to Mrs. Rupert, who was still standing with a knife plunged into the cheese, and staring as hard as Nan could at the visitor. "Perhaps I had better call again in the morning—there is so much to say, and it is late now."
"Oh, 'm," began Mrs. Rupert. "I'm sure we'd be glad enough to see you any time. Perhaps it might be as well to-morrow. Where was it you said you was staying?"