Miss Morrison turned her smiling regard on Kate.  “But, Honora, she’s been quite abrupt with me.  She doesn’t approve of me.  I suppose she discovered at once that I wasn’t useful.”

“I didn’t,” protested Kate.  “I think decorative things are of the utmost use.”

“There!” cried Miss Morrison; “you can see for yourself that she doesn’t like me!”

“Nonsense,” said Kate, really irritated.  “I shall like you if Honora does.  Let me help you dress, Honora dear.  Are you tired or happy that your cheeks are so flushed?”

“I’m both tired and happy, Kate.  Excuse me, Mary, won’t you?  If David comes in you’ll know him by instinct.  Believe me, you are very welcome.”

Up in Honora’s bedroom, Kate asked, as she helped her friend into the tidy neutral silk she wore to dinner:  “Is the blue-eyed one going to be a drain on you, girl?  You oughtn’t to carry any more burdens.  Are you disturbed?  Is she more of a proposition than you counted on?”

Honora turned her kind but troubled eyes on Kate.

“I can’t explain,” she said in so low a voice that Kate could hardly catch the words.  “She’s like me, isn’t she?  I seemed to see—­”

“What?”

“Ghosts—­bright ghosts.  Never mind.”

“You’re not thinking that you are old, are you?” cried Kate.  “Because that’s absurd.  You’re wonderful—­wonderful.”

Laughter arose to them—­the mingled voices of David Fulham and his newfound cousin by marriage.

“Good!” cried Honora with evident relief.  “They seem to be taking to each other.  I didn’t know how David would like her.”

He liked her very well, it transpired, and when the introductions had been made at the Caravansary, it appeared that every one was delighted with her.  If their reception of her differed from that they had given to Kate, it was nevertheless kindly—­almost gay.  They leaped to the conclusion that Miss Morrison was designed to enliven them.  And so it proved.  She threw even the blithe Marna Cartan temporarily into the shade; and Dr. von Shierbrand, who was accustomed to talking with Kate upon such matters as the national trait of incompetence, or the reprehensible modern tendency of coddling the unfit, turned his attention to Miss Morrison and to lighter subjects.

* * * * *

Two days later a piano stood in Honora’s drawing-room, and Miss Morrison sat before it in what may be termed occult draperies, making lovely music.  Technically, perhaps, the music left something to be desired.  Mrs. Barsaloux and Marna Cartan thought so, at any rate.  But the habitues of Mrs. Dennison’s near-home soon fell into the way of trailing over to the Fulhams’ in Mary Morrison’s wake, and as they grouped themselves about on the ugly Mission furniture, in a soft light produced by many candles, and an atmosphere drugged with highly scented flowers, they fell under the spell of many woven melodies.