Her aunt heard Beth hesitating at her sitting-room door before she gently pushed it a little farther open. “Come in, Bethie,” she called. Beth saw her in a silken wrap lying on the couch before her hearth fire. “Come over here where I can see you, little niece. Will you please touch that button beside the door to turn on the centre lights so that I can see you better?” Mrs. Cortlandt said. “Why, what a fine little bird these new fine feathers have made of you!” she cried starting up in genuine pleasure. Beth flung herself on her aunt’s shoulder, forgetting fear in her gratitude, responding to the smile in Aunt Alida’s dark eyes. “Aunt Alida,” she cried, “I’ve got to kiss you! I’m ’most crazy, I’m so happy and I look so nice, and I’ve truly got to kiss you!” Mrs. Cortlandt laughed as she received Beth’s violent kisses. “Did you think I should object to being kissed?” she asked. And then there came a hurrying of feet up the padded stairs and three figures burst into the room. Beth straightened herself and looked at them, for she knew that they were her cousins. She saw a tall girl with dark eyes, more flashing, brilliant eyes than Aunt Alida’s. She wore a riding habit, its skirt caught up slightly, showing russet riding boots. She wore a short coat and a hard hat and carried a stock in her gauntleted hand; the severity of her costume set off the brilliant beauty of her young face. Beside her stood another girl, not much taller than Beth, and fair, like Beth, but she had none of Beth’s rosiness, nor was she as pretty. She, too, wore a riding habit, green, like her sister’s, but with a soft hat, and she carried a whip. Behind the two girls was a boy, short and sturdy, with the elder girl’s dark eyes, and the younger’s fair hair, but the boy’s hair was cut so short that its color hardly mattered. His face was full of mischief that seemed to run over into the room--as it often did, in fact, as Beth was to discover later. “Children, this is Beth,” said Mrs. Cortlandt. “Here is your own cousin, though you never have seen her before. Beth, this is Natalie, Alys and Dirk.” Natalie and Alys kissed Beth and murmured a greeting; Dirk shook hands with her so limply that it was surprising when one saw how firm knit and strong his hand was. Then the four stared at one another for a moment of criticism. Natalie spoke with the advantage of her fifteen years. “Alys and I are going up to get ready for dinner. Won’t you come up to our rooms and chat? We have a new box of chocolates,” she said. “Yes, Natalie, that’s a good suggestion,” said her mother with an air of relief. “Carry Beth off with you; chocolates sweeten the hardships of getting acquainted. Your uncle will dine at home to-night, Bethie; he is anxious to know his sister’s little girl.” Dirk disappeared after the fashion of a lively small boy who neither wants girls nor is wanted by them. Natalie tucked Beth’s hand under her arm with her riding stock, and Alys followed them up-stairs.