Miss Blaney, like her brother, was long, lanky and loose-jointed, and seemed to desire to accentuate these effects.

Her ash-coloured hair was parted and drawn loosely down to a huge knot at the back of her neck.
A band of gilt filigree was round her head at the temples, and was set with a huge green stone which rested in the middle of her forehead.
Long barbaric earrings dangled and shook with every movement of her head, and round her somewhat scrawny neck was coiled an ugly greenish serpent of some flexible metal formation.

For the rest, Miss Blaney wore a flowing robe of saffron yellow, a most sickly shade, and the material was frayed and worn as if it had been many times made over.
It hung from her shoulders in billowy folds, and the wearer was evidently proud of it, for she continually switched its draperies about and gazed admiringly at them.
"Frightfully glad to see you," this weird creature was saying, and Patty caught her breath, and murmured, "Oh, thank you.

So kind of you to ask me." "I feel sure I shall adore you," Miss Blaney went on; "you are _simpatica_,--yes, absolutely _simpatica_." "Am I ?" and Patty smiled.

"And is it nice to be _simpatica_?
It doesn't mean a simpleton, does it ?" "Oh, how droll! My dear, how droll!" and Miss Blaney went off in contortions of silent laughter.