 her, for mysterious reasons, to resemble a very pretty portrait of
the Empress Josephine, of which there hung an engraving in one of the parlors,
and which the younger Miss Wentworth had always greatly admired. But the
Baroness was not at all like that - not at all. Though different, however, she
was very wonderful, and Gertrude felt herself most suggestively corrected. It
was strange, nevertheless, that Felix should speak in that positive way about
his sister's beauty. »I think I shall think her handsome,« Gertrude said. »It
must be very interesting to know her. I don't feel as if I ever could.«
    »Ah, you will know her well; you will become great friends,« Felix declared,
as if this were the easiest thing in the world.
    »She is very graceful,« said Gertrude, looking after the Baroness, suspended
to her father's arm. It was a pleasure to her to say that any one was graceful.
    Felix had been looking about him. »And your little cousin, of yesterday,« he
said, »who was so wonderfully pretty - what has become of her?«
    »She is in the parlor,« Gertrude answered. »Yes, she is very pretty.« She
felt as if it were her duty to take him straight into the house, to where he
might be near her cousin. But after hesitating a moment she lingered still. »I
didn't believe you would come back,« she said.
    »Not come back!« cried Felix, laughing. »You didn't know, then, the
impression made upon this susceptible heart of mine.«
    She wondered whether he meant the impression her cousin Lizzie had made.
»Well,« she said, »I didn't think we should ever see you again.«
    »And pray what did you think would become of me?«
    »I don't know. I thought you would melt away.«
    »That's a compliment to my solidity! I melt very often,« said Felix, »but
there is always something left of me.«
    »I came and waited for you by the door, because the others did,« Gertrude
went on. »But if you had never appeared I should not have been surprised.«
    »I hope,« declared Felix, looking at her, »that you would have been
disappointed.«
    She looked at him a little, and shook her head. »No - no!«
    »Ah, par
