\"Toseeus，mydear，\"saidKittyloftily;\"andthen，too，hehastosettlesomethingaboutHISshareoftheproperty;foryouknowgrandpaleftashareofittohim。Notthathe’severbotheredhimselfaboutit，forhe’srich，——akindofMonteCristo，youknow，——withagoldmineandanislandoffthecoast，tosaynothingofawholecountythatheowns，thatiscalledafterhim，andmillionsofwildcattlethatheridesamongandlassos！It’sdreadfullyhardtodo。Youknowyoutakealongropewithaslipknot，andyouthrowitaroundyourheadso，and\"——
\"Hark！\"saidMarie，withadramaticstart，andherfingeronhersmallmouth，\"hecomes！\"
Therewastheclearrollofwheelsalongthesmooth，frozencarriagesweeptowardsthehouse，thesharpcrispclickofhoofsonstone，theopeningofheavydoors，thesuddensparklinginvasionoffrigidair，theupliftingofvoicesingreeting，——butallfamiliar！
TherewereGabrielLane’scheery，hopefultones，thesopranoofCousinJaneandCousinEmma，thebaritoneofMr。Gunn，andthegravemeasuredoratoricalutteranceofParsonDexter，whohadjoinedthepartyatthestation;butcertainlytheaccentsofnoSTRANGER。Hadhecome？Yes，forhisnamewasjustthencalled，andthequickearofMariehaddetectedalight，lounging，alienfootstepcrossthecoldstripofmarblevestibule。Thetwogirlsexchangedarapidglance;eachlookedintothemirror，andtheninterrogativelyattheother，noddedtheirheadsaffirmatively，anddescendedtothedrawing—room。Agrouphadalreadydrawnroundthefire，andasmallcentralfigure，who，withitsbackturnedtowardsthem，wasstillenwrappedinanenormousovercoatofrichfur，wasengagedinpresentinganalternatesmallvarnishedleatherboottothewarmthofthegrate。Astheyenteredtheroomtheheavyfurwasyieldedupwithapparentreluctance，andrevealedtotheastonishedgirlsamanofordinarystaturewithaslightandelegantfiguresetoffbyatravelingsuitofirreproachablecut。
Hislightreddish—yellowhair，mustache，andsunburnedcheek，whichseemedallofonecolorandoutline，madeitimpossibletodetectthegrayoftheoneorthehollownessoftheother，andgavenoindicationofhisage。Yettherewasclearlynomistake。HerewasGabrielLaneseizingtheirnervouslycoldfingersandpresentingthemtotheir\"UncleSylvester。\"