know,
whether--whether--"

"No, darling, of course. Auntie, auntie, awake and see who has come."

Mrs. Besborough Power blinked lazily.

"Dinner?" she said.

"No, no, auntie, not for another hour, it is only seven o'clock; but do
wake up and see who has come."

But the sight of the strange girl had already recalled her aunt to her
senses; her beady black eyes were fixed upon her, and her high-bridged
nose seemed to be aiding them in their inquiries, as she pressed her
lips together, and sniffed in astonishment.

"Gwladys," she said, "is it possible that I have invited anyone to
dinner, and then forgotten it?"

Gwladys had removed her sister's hat, and as she stood now before Mrs.
Power, in the full light of the lamp and the fire, that poor lady was
smitten by the same bewilderment which had taken possession of William
at the front door. She could only ejaculate:

"Gracious goodness, Gwladys! What is the meaning of this? Who is it,
child? and which are you? Are you this one or that one? For heaven's
sake say something, or I shall be quite confused."

"It's Valmai, auntie, my twin-sister, though you could not remember her
name, but of whom I have thought often and often. Auntie, you will
welcome her for my sake? Is she not the very image of me? alike--nay,
not so, but the same, the very same, only in two bodies. Oh, Valmai!
Valmai! why have we been separated so long?" and, sinking into a chair,
she trembled with agitation.

Mrs. Power held her hands out, though not very cordially. She was
beginning to arrange her ideas.

"Welcome her! Why, of course, of course. How do you do, my dear?
Very glad to see you, I am sure, though I can't think where you have
dropped from. Gwladys, calm yourself; I am surprised at you. I
thought you were in Figi, or Panama, or Macedonia, or some place of
that kind."

"Patagonia," said Valmai, smiling. "My parents both died there, and I
have come home to live in Wales again--"

"Well, to be sure," said Mrs. Power, rubbing one hand over another, her
favourite action. "Come, Gwladys, don't cry--don't be silly; as your
sister is here, she will stay with us a week or so. Can you, my dear?"

"Yes," said Valmai, whose clear mind quickly drew its own conclusions
and formed its own plans. "Yes, indeed, I hoped you would ask me to
stay a week or so; but do not think I am come to be dependent on you.
No, I am well off, but I had an intense longing to see my sister; and