But I hung back, bashful and frightened, while he called some of the men to his assistance, and, hurrying down to the river, landed the boat, and was presently seen walking toward the house with a lady leaning upon his arm. I saw her from the window. A tall, dignified woman, with a face--yes, beautiful, certainly, for there were the regular features, the dark eyes, with their straight brows, the heavy, dark hair, parted over the fair, smooth forehead, but so quiet, so cold, so almost haughty, that my heart stood still with an undefined alarm. She came in and sat down in one of the chairs without taking the least notice of me. Mr. Hammond spoke,-- "This is Janet Rainsford, my little friend that I told you of, Esther. I hope you will be as good friends as we have been. She will show you every beautiful place around the country, and make you acquainted with the people, too." Miss Hammond looked at me with a steadiness of gaze under which my eyes sank. "I shall not trouble the young person much, since I shall only walk when you can go with me; and as for the people, it is not necessary for me to know them, I suppose." George Hammond bit his lip. "Janet has taken great pains to put everything in order for us here. I should hardly know the room, it is so improved since I left it this morning." "She is very kind," said his sister, languidly; "but, George, how horribly this furniture is arranged,--the sofa across the window, the centre-table in the corner!" "Oh, you will have plenty of time to arrange it, Esther. Come, let me show you your own room; you will want to rest while your Dutch girl--what's her name? Catrine?--gets us something to eat."