But if you please, there's a visitor in the drawing-room who would like to have a word with you the minute you come in." "A visitor ?" Mrs Bell felt her heart beat.

The Northbury people did not stand on ceremony with each other, nor wait in each other's drawing-rooms, for the return of an absent hostess.

A wild idea came across Mrs.Bell's brain.

Could Captain Bertram have quarrelled with Beatrice, and come back to Matty, his first and only true love.
"A visitor?
Male or female ?" she inquired of the girl.
"A lady, ma'am.

Dressed most elegant." "Dear, dear, dear! Then I suppose I must see her, and I so dead beat! She didn't give her name, did she, Hannah ?" "No, ma'am.