"I just thought I'd call in to express--it's no more than is proper, my being her cousin, you know,--to express my sympathy to your mother." "Your sympathy to my mother ?" "Yes.

To--to tell her how--how sorry I am that she's dead," elucidated Olivetta.
A little hand gripped Jack's arm.
"Jack!" He turned his head and his eyes followed Mary's pointing finger.
"Mother!" He walked amazedly up before Mrs.De Peyster's palsied figure.

"Mother!" In the same instant Judge Harvey was beside her.
"Caroline!" he breathed, like one seeing a ghost.
"Ye-yes," she mumbled.
"Then you're not dead ?" "N-no," she mumbled.
The Judge and Jack and Mary gazed down at her in uttermost astoundment.

To them was added Mr.Pyecroft.His bewilderment, for the moment, was the greatest of the group; for the likeness between the black-garbed, fled Angelica, and this real Mrs.De Peyster in lavender dressing-gown, was more remarkable than he had ever dreamed.
"Thank God!" quavered Judge Harvey.

And then, voicing the general amazement: "But--but--I don't understand! What has happened?
How do you come here ?" Mrs.De Peyster, with a shivering glance at them all, and one of particular terror at her recent confederate, Mr.Pyecroft, made a last rally to save herself.
"My explanation--that is, all I know about this affair--is really very simple.