"Why not?"
"It might be Miss Elise, if—"
"If what?"
"I am not accustomed to see young ladies in their homes. I have only fancied sometimes what a pretty girl might be in her father's house."
"Well, sir?" said Spener impatiently.
"A young lady like Miss Elise would have a great deal to say, I should suppose."
"Is she dumb? I thought she could talk. I should have said so."
"I should have guessed, too, that she would always be singing about the house."
"And if not—what then?"
"Something must be going wrong somewhere. So you see it can't be Miss Elise, according to my judgment."