Nobody knew; but a few days after, Lancy related the fact that he had hurried after a lady, supposing her to be Dexie, and found he had been following a stranger.

“I am going to find out who this young person is,” said Dexie, laughing.  “Who knows, perhaps it is my only chance to ‘see myself as others see me.’”

After a few inquiries, it was found that Dexie’s double was a Nina Gordon, only daughter of a widow lately arrived in Halifax, and residing with a bachelor brother who was travelling for a city firm.

Cora Gurney happened to meet both mother and daughter while making a round of calls with a friend, and she ran in to tell Dexie of the meeting.

“Your double is not very much like you after all, Dexie,” she said.  “Her figure and style of walking are remarkably like yours, even to the poise of her head; her hair, too, is almost the same shade; the eyes and upper part of the face are similar:  but the mouth and chin are her own—­they have no resemblance whatever to the true Dexie.  It is the first sight that strikes one.  When you look for the resemblance, it really seems slight enough, and when she begins to talk, my! the illusion vanishes at once, for really I do not think I ever met a person who irritated me as she did.  She is a girl after the ‘china doll’ pattern, and can only use her brains at the direction of her mother.  I do not think she ventured a remark of her own all the time I was there.”

“Perhaps she did not have the chance,” said Dexie, eager to champion the cause of her double.  “Some girls are not allowed to have an opinion apart from the maternal idea of the fitness of things, and are kept down.”

“Nonsense!  If you had heard her talking, Dexie, I’m sure you would have felt like shaking her.  It is only when her face is in repose that she resembles you in the least, for the moment she begins to talk, or even listen—­or try to listen, one might say—­she has the most senseless expression I ever saw on a woman’s face.”

“Goodness sake! bring me a looking-glass, quick! do, till I see what I look like when I talk.  Does my face assume an idiotic expression when I am conversing?  Be honest and tell me, for sweet charity’s sake.”

“Ease your mind, Dexie,” said Cora, laughing.  “Did I not say that there the resemblance ends?  It is only when her face is at rest that the likeness can be seen at all.  If you ask her the simplest question, she must refer to her mother for advice before she replies.  For instance, I asked her if she liked Halifax.  ‘Do I like Halifax, mamma, do you think?’ and she turned to her mother with such an affected simper.  Really, I almost disliked her the moment she opened her mouth.”

“I hope I shall get a chance to see her before we leave Halifax,” said Dexie.

“Well, I asked her and her mother to call on mamma next week, almost on purpose for your benefit.  Hugh is getting along so well I think mamma can receive some friends.  I will let you know when they come.”