The bare doubt whether the housekeeper might not have
seen her already under too strong a light shook her self-possession for
the moment. She gave herself time to recover it, and merely answered by
a bow.
"Accept my excuses, ma'am, for the place in which I am compelled to
receive you," proceeded Mrs. Lecount in fluent English, spoken with a
foreign accent. "Mr. Vanstone is only here for a temporary purpose. We
leave for the sea-side to-morrow afternoon, and it has not been thought
worth while to set the house in proper order. Will you take a seat, and
oblige me by mentioning the object of your visit?"
She glided imperceptibly a step or two nearer to Magdalen, and placed
a chair for her exactly opposite the light from the window. "Pray sit
down," said Mrs. Lecount, looking with the tenderest interest at the
visitor's inflamed eyes through the visitor's net veil.
"I am suffering, as you see, from a complaint in the eyes," replied
Magdalen, steadily keeping her profile toward the window, and carefully
pitching her voice to the tone of Miss Garth's. "I must beg your
permission to wear my veil down, and to sit away from the light."
She said those words, feeling mistress of herself again.
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