It was a woman's voice, and a particularly sweet voice, too.
Still no one came down the passage.

The lady seemed to be lingering in taking her leave.

Then there was a sound of small feet and suddenly a little girl stood before the open door of the study, looking wonderingly at the two young men.

Short thought he had never seen such a beautiful child.

She could not have been more than seven or eight years old, and was not tall for her age; a delicate little figure, all in black, with long brown curls upon her shoulders, flowing abundantly from beneath a round black sailor's hat that was set far back upon her head.