"I don't know anything about what my life will be," said Jane. "As I told you on the train, I've only seen my aunts once in my life and that was fifteen years ago. But I should think that you could come and see us. I should think that a little company would do Aunt Susan a lot of good. I'm sure that it would, in fact. But she may not like to see strangers. I really don't know a thing about it. I'm all in the dark." "I'll come and ask if I may come," said Madeleine brightly. "If she sees me, maybe she'll like me. Most everybody does." She laughed. "I'm sure of that," Jane said, laughing, too. Then the stage stopped at Miss Debby Vane's, and Miss Debby came flying down to embrace her cousin. "Thanks be to God that you're here safe, my dear. These awful storms at sea have just about frightened me to death." "But I was on land, Aunt Deborah." Madeleine, in getting down, had gotten into a warm embrace at the same time. "I know, dear, I know. But one can't remember that all the time--can one?" Miss Debby was kissing her over and over. "Your step-ladder. Look out!" cried the stage driver, and they had barely time to jump from under. Then Madeleine reached up and clasped Jane's hand. "We shall be friends," she said earnestly; "I've never met any one whom I've liked quite in the same way that I like you. Do let us see all that we can of one another." "_I_ want to, I know," Jane answered. The stage driver was already remounting his seat. "Au revoir," Madeleine cried, just as Lorenzo had done. "Just for a little," Jane called back, and then she was alone in the stage, rattling down the long, green-arched street to its furthest end. "There goes the stage," Katie Croft called out to her mother-in-law in the next room. "Now Miss Drew'll have her niece and be able to get away for a little rest." "If it was a daughter-in-law, she couldn't, maybe," said a voice from the next room; "the rest is going to be poor, sweet Susan Ralston's, anyhow. Oh, my Susan Ralston, my dear, sweet Susan Ralston, my loving Susan Ralston, where I used to go and call!" "Why, Mother, you haven't so much as thought of Mrs. Ralston for years." Katie's voice was very sharp. "Nobody knows what I think of," wailed the voice from the other room. "My thoughts is music. They fly and sing all night. They sing Caw, Caw, and they fly like feathers." Katie Croft walked over and shut the door with a bang. Katie was almost beside herself. The stage now drew up before the Ralston house.