The little party waited what seemed to them an interminable length
of time; although it was in reality not more than five minutes
before the attendant returned with the news that they might see
the patient in 47.

Grace had purposely voiced their request in so low a tone that
Mabel had not heard her mention the patient's name, and she
accompanied the four girls without the faintest idea of what their
call might mean to her.

"Now for it," breathed Grace, as they paused at the door of 47.

"Come in," said a sweet voice, in answer to the attendant's knock,
and the five girls were ushered into Mrs. Allison's presence.

"How are my young friends, to-day!" she cried gayly, rising from
the easy chair in which she was sitting and coming forward with
out-stretched hands.

"Very well, indeed," replied Grace, Anne and Nora in a breath as
they shook hands.

"Mrs. Allison," said Grace hurriedly, "these are my friends, Miss
Jessica Bright and Miss Mabel Allison."

The woman who was in the act of acknowledging the introduction to
Jessica started violently when Grace pronounced Mabel's name,
dropped Jessica's hand and began to tremble as she caught sight of
Mabel, who stood behind Jessica, an expression of amazement in her
brown eyes, that the patient's name should be the same as her own.