el might be lying somewhere on a rafter.

"I declare--" the mother began, tapping her foot. But what she was going
to declare was never known, for just then a knock at the outer door
diverted their attention.

However commonplace may be the moment after a door is opened, the moment
before the opening is apt to be full of interest, for one can never know
but that some cause of delightful excitement is on the other side.

It was Blue who opened the door. She did not at first open it very wide,
for she had learned by experience how much icy air could rush in, and
the other two, watching from behind, saw her answering some salutation
with dubious politeness. Then, after a moment, they saw her open it more
widely, and with a shy but hospitable inclination of the pretty
head--"Will you walk in?" said Blue.

The young man who immediately entered had a very smart appearance to
eyes which had grown accustomed to the working garb of father and
brother. He was, moreover, handsome to a degree that is not ordinary.
The curly hair from which he had lifted his fur cap was black and glossy
as a blackbird's plumage, and the moustache, which did not cover the
full red lips, matched the hair, save that it seemed of finer and softer
material. His brown eyes had the glow of health and good spirits in
them.

"Dear me!" Mrs. Rexford gave this involuntary exclamation of surprise;
then she turned inquiringly to the visitor. It was not in her nature to
regard him with an unfriendly eye; and as for Blue and Red, a spot of
warm colour had come into each of their sorrowful cheeks. They were too
well bred to look at each other or stare at the stranger, but there was
a flutter of pleased interest about the muscles of their rosy lips that
needed no expressive glances to interpret it.

To be sure, the next few minutes' talk rather rubbed the bloom off their
pleasure, as one rubs beauty off a plum by handling; but the plum is
still sweet; and the pleasure was still there, being composed purely of
the excitement of meeting a young human creature apparently so akin to
themselves, but different with that mysterious difference which nature
sets between masculine and feminine attributes of mind and heart.

The young man was an American. Any one experienced in American life
would have observed that the youth was a wanderer, his tricks of speech
and behaviour savouring, not of one locality, but of many. His accent
and manner showed it. He was very manne