"Friends from New York, Albany and Troy often visit us, Janet, and are brought here to admire. We sometimes have a house full in the summer."
"Who is John, Cousin Diana?" asked Janet suddenly, "John that spoke of the 'ha'nts'?"
"Oh, yes. I haven't told you about my son, Janet. He will be here in a few days, for his spring vacation begins, late this year, on account of a contagious disease that some of them had, and the boys were not allowed to leave. He was christened Jan, but prefers to be called John."
"I wouldn't," said Janet. "From now on, I'm going to spell my name with two n's."
"You think so now," said Mrs. Holt with an indulgent smile.
From room to room they went, Mrs. Holt pointing out the old highboys, claw-footed mahogany tables and desks, and telling Janet whose were the faces in the pictures upon the walls. At last they went up the beautiful old staircase, through bedrooms made comfortable with modern springs upon the old four posters, and Mrs. Holt stopped before one of the doors, drawing a key from her pocket.
"This, Janet, is your mother's room. Your uncle gave direction to have it kept locked and to permit no one to enter on any tour of inspection. So you may be sure that it has not been looked at with curious eyes. Only P'lina and I are ever supposed to enter it, though I think that your uncle has a key, and it is possible that he comes in occasionally.
"You see how this corridor runs over to the new part, where my bedroom opens directly upon the hall there. Old P'lina sleeps near you, if you decide to take this room. You will see a picture of your mother that will give you great pleasure, I think, and I'm leaving you alone now, child,--to go in by yourself. You will find me in my bedroom for a while, but if you want to stay here, I will see that you are called for supper. It will be late, I think. We have supper, not dinner, at night, except when we have guests. May you be happy, my dear, to find your mother's room at last."
Janet entered the room once occupied by her mother and closed the door. Soberly she stood still and looked about. Facing her, upon the wall, there hung a face so like the one which she daily saw in her mirror that she had no difficulty in recognizing it as her mother. Yet she realized now that in certain features she did resemble her father, as "Gramma" Eldon had insisted. That was one thing that Janet remembered out of the confused memories of her early childhood.