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She was far more beautiful than I had thought； but I never doubted
that it was she herself and no other。 Vision or no vision before；
this was the reality； and I knew it。 Twice her hair had been
covered； now at last I saw it； and the added beauty of its
magnificence glorified the whole woman。 It was rich hair； fine and
abundant； golden； with deep ruddy tints in it like red bronze spun
fine。 There was no ornament in it； not a rose； not a thread of
gold； and I felt that it needed nothing to enhance its splendor；
nothing but her pale face； her dark strange eyes； and her heavy
eyebrows。 I could see that she was slender too； but strong withal；
as she sat there quietly gazing at the moving scene in the midst of
the brilliant lights and the hum of perpetual conversation。
I recollected the detail of introduction in time； and turned aside
to look for my host。 I found him at last。 I begged him to present
me to the two ladies； pointing them out to him at the same time。
〃Yesuhby all meansuh；〃 replied his Excellency with a pleasant
smile。 He evidently had no idea of my name； which was not to be
wondered at。
〃I am Lord Cairngorm；〃 I observed。
〃Ohby all means；〃 answered the Ambassador with the same
hospitable smile。 〃Yesuhthe fact is； I must try and find out
who they are； such lots of people； you know。〃
〃Oh； if you will present me； I will try and find out for you；〃 said
I； laughing。
〃Ah； yesso kind of youcome along；〃 said my host。 We threaded
the crowd； and in a few minutes we stood before the two ladies。
〃'Lowmintrduce L'd Cairngorm；〃 he said； then； adding quickly to me；
〃Come and dine to…morrow； won't you？〃 he glided away with his
pleasant smile and disappeared in the crowd。
I sat down beside the beautiful girl； conscious that the eyes of
the duenna were upon me。
〃I think we have been very near meeting before；〃 I remarked； by way
of opening the conversation。
My companion turned her eyes full upon me with an air of inquiry。
She evidently did not recall my face； if she had ever seen me。
〃ReallyI cannot remember；〃 she observed； in a low and musical
voice。 〃When？〃
〃In the first place； you came down from Berlin by the express ten
days ago。 I was going the other way； and our carriages stopped
opposite each other。 I saw you at the window。〃
〃Yeswe came that way； but I do not remember〃 She hesitated。
〃Secondly；〃 I continued； 〃I was sitting alone in my garden last
summernear the end of Julydo you remember？ You must have
wandered in there through the park； you came up to the house and
looked at me〃
〃Was that you？〃 she asked； in evident surprise。 Then she broke
into a laugh。 〃I told everybody I had seen a ghost； there had
never been any Cairngorms in the place since the memory of man。 We
left the next day； and never heard that you had come there； indeed；
I did not know the castle belonged to you。〃
〃Where were you staying？〃 I asked。
〃Where？ Why； with my aunt； where I always stay。 She is your
neighbor； since it IS you。〃
〃Ibeg your pardonbut thenis your aunt Lady Bluebell？ I did
not quite catch〃
〃Don't be afraid。 She is amazingly deaf。 Yes。 She is the relict
of my beloved uncle； the sixteenth or seventeenth Baron BluebellI
forget exactly how many of them there have been。 And Ido you
know who I am？〃 She laughed； well knowing that I did not。
〃No；〃 I answered frankly。 〃I have not the least idea。 I asked to
be introduced because I recognized you。 Perhapsperhaps you are a
Miss Bluebell？〃
〃Considering that you are a neighbor； I will tell you who I am；〃
she answered。 〃No； I am of the tribe of Bluebells； but my name is
Lammas； and I have been given to understand that I was christened
Margaret。 Being a floral family； they call me Daisy。 A dreadful
American man once told me that my aunt was a Bluebell and that I
was a Harebellwith two l's and an ebecause my hair is so thick。
I warn you； so that you may avoid making such a bad pun。〃
〃Do I look like a man who makes puns？〃 I asked； being very
conscious of my melancholy face and sad looks。
Miss Lammas eyed me critically。
〃No； you have a mournful temperament。 I think I can trust you；〃
she answered。 〃Do you think you could communicate to my aunt the
fact that you are a Cairngorm and a neighbor？ I am sure she would
like to know。〃
I leaned toward the old lady； inflating my lungs for a yell。 But
Miss Lammas stopped me。
〃That is not of the slightest use；〃 she remarked。 〃You can write
it on a bit of paper。 She is utterly deaf。〃
〃I have a pencil；〃 I answered； 〃but I have no paper。 Would my cuff
do； do you think？〃
〃Oh； yes！〃 replied Miss Lammas； with alacrity； 〃men often do that。〃
I wrote on my cuff： 〃Miss Lammas wishes me to explain that I am
your neighbor； Cairngorm。〃 Then I held out my arm before the old
lady's nose。 She seemed perfectly accustomed to the proceeding；
put up her glasses； read the words； smiled； nodded； and addressed
me in the unearthly voice peculiar to people who hear nothing。
〃I knew your grandfather very well；〃 she said。 Then she smiled and
nodded to me again； and to her niece； and relapsed into silence。
〃It is all right；〃 remarked Miss Lammas。 〃Aunt Bluebell knows she
is deaf； and does not say much； like the parrot。 You see； she knew
your grandfather。 How odd that we should be neighbors！ Why have
we never met before？〃
〃If you had told me you knew my grandfather when you appeared in
the garden； I should not have been in the least surprised；〃 I
answered rather irrelevantly。 〃I really thought you were the ghost
of the old fountain。 How in the world did you come there at that
hour？〃
〃We were a large party and we went out for a walk。 Then we thought
we should like to see what your park was like in the moonlight； and
so we trespassed。 I got separated from the rest； and came upon you
by accident； just as I was admiring the extremely ghostly look of
your house； and wondering whether anybody would ever come and live
there again。 It looks like the castle of Macbeth； or a scene from
the opera。 Do you know anybody here？〃
〃Hardly a soul！ Do you？〃
〃No。 Aunt Bluebell said it was our duty to come。 It is easy for
her to go out； she does not bear the burden of the conversation。〃
〃I am sorry you find it a burden；〃 said I。 〃Shall I go away？〃
Miss Lammas looked at me with a sudden gravity in her beautiful
eyes； and there was a sort of hesitation about the lines of her
full； soft mouth。
〃No；〃 she said at last； quite simply； 〃don't go away。 We may like
each other； if you stay a little longerand we ought to； because
we are neighbors in the country。〃
I suppose I ought to have thought Miss Lammas a very odd girl。
There is； indeed； a sort of freemasonry between people who discover
that they live near each other and that they ought to have known
each other before。 But