Page:Malvina of Brittany - Jerome (1916).djvu/242

 shawl, walked to the window and sat down facing the room.

Mrs. Travers took the box off the table and put it on the floor—it was quite a little box—and waited.

"This young lady," explained Abner Herrick, "is Miss Ann Kavanagh, daughter of—of an old friend of mine."

"Oh!" said Mrs. Travers, and remained still expectant.

"Miss Kavanagh," continued Abner Herrick, "will be staying with us for" He appeared to be uncertain of the length of Miss Kavanagh's visit. He left the sentence unfinished and took refuge in more pressing questions.

"What about the bedroom on the second floor? Is it ready? Sheets aired—all that sort of thing?"

"It can be," replied Mrs. Travers. The tone was suggestive of judgment reserved.

"I think, if you don't mind, Mrs. Travers, that we'd like to go to bed as soon as possible." From force of habit Abner S. Herrick in speaking employed as a rule the editorial "we." "We have been travelling all day and we are very tired. To-morrow morning"