I had not the least idea who she
was, but I sent in my card at a venture; and in five minutes afterward
I found myself in the presence of one of the most charming women these
eyes ever looked on.
"Our first words of explanation informed me that my family name was
known to her by repute. Who do you think she was? The eldest daughter of
my uncle and yours--Andrew Vanstone. I had often heard my poor mother in
past years speak of her brother Andrew, and I knew of that sad story
at Combe-Raven. But our families, as you are aware, had always been
estranged, and I had never seen my charming cousin before. She has
the dark eyes and hair, and the gentle, retiring manners that I always
admire in a woman. I don't want to renew our old disagreement about
your father's conduct to those two sisters, or to deny that his brother
Andrew may have behaved badly to him; I am willing to admit that the
high moral position he took in the matter is quite unassailable by
such a miserable sinner as I am; and I will not dispute that my own
spendthrift habits incapacitate me from offering any opinion on the
conduct of other people's pecuniary affairs. But, with all these
allowances and drawbacks, I can tell you one thing, Noel.
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