I reached this wretched little house a few minutes before the arrival of
Walkirk and the wagon-load of mechanics. My under-study had entered
heartily into my scheme, and by his directions the men had brought with
them everything needed to carry out my plans, and in a very short time
he and I had set every man to work.

There were carpenters, plasterers, painters, paper-hangers, and a tinner
and glazier, and when they learned that I wanted that little house
completely renovated in the course of the afternoon, they looked upon
the business as a lark, and entered into it with great spirit. The
astonished woman of the house did not understand what was about to
happen, and even when I had explained it to her, her mind seemed to take
in nothing except the fact that the house ought to be cleaned before the
painting and paper-hanging began, but there was no time for delays of
this sort, and the work went on merrily.

When the furniture arrived, the woman gave a gasp, for the last time the
vehicle which brought them to her house had been there, it had taken
away her previous husband. But a bureau and table and a roll of carpet
assured her of its different purpose, and she turned in with a will to
assist in arranging these articles.

Before dark the work was all done. The rheumatic Frenchman was lying on
a shining new bedstead, a box of Pepper Pod Plasters had been placed in
the hands of his delighted wife, a grocery wagon had deposited a load of
goods in the kitchen, the mechanics in gay spirits had driven away, and
Walkirk and I, tired, but triumphant, walked home, leaving behind us a
magical transformation, a pervading smell of paint and damp wall-paper,
and an aged couple as much dazed as delighted with what had happened.

Soon after breakfast the next day, I repaired to the bright and tidy
little cottage, and there I had my reward. Standing near the house a
little in the shadow of a good sized evergreen-tree, which I had ordered
transplanted bodily from the woods into the little yard, I beheld Sylvia
approaching, and with her a sister with a bandaged face whom I rightly
supposed to be the amiable Sister Agatha.

When the two came within a moderate distance of the cottage they
stopped, they looked about them from side to side, and it was plain to
see that they imagined they were on the wrong road. Then they walked
forward a bit, stopped again, and finally came towards the house on a
run.

I advanced to meet them.