The boat was scraping the sand. One of the sailors had sprung out. He gave her his hand and she rose. She was about my height, which was fairly tall, and she was dressed in white clinging silk. I thought she was very attractive, and like someone I knew.

And suddenly it hit me. It was like looking into a mirror—a not quite true mirror—and seeing oneself reflected in a flattering way. The person she was like was myself.

The sailor had lifted her out of the boat. He carried her so that she might not get her feet wet.

She stood there looking at us, a smile on her face.

She said: "I'm Susannah."

I think we all felt that we were dreaming—all except Susannah. She was completely mistress of the situation.

My parents appeared to be stunned. Anabel kept looking at her as though she could not believe she was real.

She was aware of it. I came to believe that there was little Susannah was not aware of. And she found the situation very amusing.

"I had to come and see my father," she said. "As soon as I knew where to come I set out. And Anabel... I remember you. And who ..."

"Our daughter," said Anabel. "Suewellyn."

"Your daughter and ..." She was looking at her father.

"Yes," he said. "Our daughter Suewellyn."

Susannah nodded slowly, smiling. Then she looked straight at me. "We're sisters ... half sisters. Isn't it exciting? Fancy discovering you have a sister at my time of life!"

"I knew of your existence," I said.

"Oh, unfair advantage!" Her eyes remained on me. "We are alike, aren't we?" She pulled off her hat. Her hair was cut in a fringe over her forehead.

"We are sisters indeed," she went on. "And we could look more alike ... if we dressed similarly. Oh, this is thrilling. How glad I am I have found you at last!"

The sailors put her baggage on the sand beside Susannah.

"You've come to stay," said Anabel.

"For a visit. If you'll have me. I have come a long way."

"Let's go to the house," said Anabel. "There'll be lots to talk about."

Susannah went to my father and slipped her arm through his.

"Are you pleased I have come?" she asked.

"Of course."

"I am so glad. I remember you, you know ... and Anabel."

"Your mother ..." he began.

"She died ... about three years ago. It was pneumonia. Yes, there is a lot to tell you."

Several boys and girls had come to stare at the newcomer. My father shouted at them: "Come on. Give us a hand with these bags."

They giggled and came running, delighted to be included in the adventure.

And so we went into the house, our emotions in a turmoil.

Philip was already there. He came out when he heard us. When he saw Susannah he stopped and stared.

Anabel said: "This is my husband's daughter. She has come out from England to see us."

"This is most interesting," he said, advancing.

Susannah held out her hand. "How do you do?" she said.

"This is Dr. Halmer," my father announced. "Dr. Halmer, Susannah Mateland."

"And have you come to stay?" asked Philip.

"I am hoping to for a while. It is a long way to come for a day. I believe the ship sails tomorrow. I hope they will like me well enough not to send me back on it."

"You're rather like ..."

She turned and flashed her smile at me. "It's natural," she said. "We share a father."

We all went inside. Cougaba came out and behind her was Cougabel. She had obviously been visiting her mother and was carrying the baby whose appearance in the world had been too soon for our comfort.

"Cougaba," said Anabel, "our daughter has arrived from England. Can you see that a room is made ready for her?"

"Yes, yes, yes," said Cougaba. "Cougabel, you come give me hand."

Cougabel stood there smiling, holding the baby in her arms and looking from me to Philip until her eyes rested on Susannah.

"It's a pleasant house," said Susannah.

"It's improved a good deal since we came," replied my father.

"It must have been about eleven years ago. I remember I was seven when ... you went away."

"It is eleven years ago," said Anabel quietly. "You must be thirsty. Let me get you something to drink while Cougaba gets your room ready."

"Cougaba! Is that the baleful female who regarded me as though I were some devil escaped from the gates of hell?"

"Cougaba is the elder," I said.

"Oh, I meant the young one with the baby. They're servants, I suppose. I've wanted so long to find you. It was so sudden ... your disappearance."

My mother brought some lemonade to which she had added some of the herbs she had discovered; they gave a special and very delicious tang to the beverage, making it a pleasantly refreshing drink.

"We shall dine in an hour's time," said Anabel. "Are you hungry? Should I speed it up?"

Susannah said no. The drink was refreshing and an hour or so would suit her beautifully.

She looked rather roguishly at my father. "I expect you are wondering how I found you. Old Simons, who arranged all your affairs, died last year. His son Alain took over. I made Alain give away your secret. I haven't told anyone but I was determined to come and see you."

"How did Jessamy die?" asked Anabel.

"It was during the cold winter three years back. We were snowed up at the castle for several weeks. You know how the wind whistles down those corridors. It's the draftiest spot I've ever been in. Well, it was too much for my mother. Her chest always troubled her. Elizabeth Larkham—you remember Elizabeth Larkham?—she died a few months after of the same complaint. A lot of people suffered through that winter."

"And how was your mother when ..." began Anabel.

Susannah gave that rather secretive smile which I had already noticed. "When you went away?" she asked. "Oh, devastated! She was terribly ill. Another of her colds, which turned to bronchitis. She was too ill to think of anything but getting her breath. I heard her say that it saved her from dying of melancholy."

Anabel closed her eyes. Susannah was opening an old wound and turning the knife in it.

"However," she went on, "that's all in the past. Things are different at the castle now."

Cougabel came down to say that the room was ready. She had only had to make the bed, she said; and she looked at Susannah and continued: "Rooms always clean this house. Mamabel like it so."

"How very commendable," said Susannah.

Cougabel lifted her shoulders and giggled.

"Let me take you to your room," I said. I thought my parents would want to be alone for a while to discuss this shock. Philip would realize this. He was most perceptive and would make an excuse to leave them, I guessed.

Susannah rose with alacrity. I believed she was looking forward to being alone with me.

When we reached her room she took a cursory look round it and turned to me. I obviously interested her far more.

"Isn't this ... fun?" she said. "I didn't know I was going to find a sister."

She shook out her hair and looked at her reflection. She laughed and came to me. Taking my arm, she drew me to the mirror and we stood there side by side.

"It's a fair likeness," she said.

"Well, perhaps."

"What do you mean ... perhaps! Why, I tell you, sister, that if you cut your hair in a fringe ... if you wore a fashionable garment like this one ... if you were a little less serious ... Do you see what I mean? Why, you even have a mole in the same place. Fancy that!"

I stared at it. I had forgotten how long ago that mole had seemed so significant when Anthony Felton tormented me because of it.

"I call it my beauty spot," went on Susannah.

"It's darker than mine," I said.

"Dear innocent Suewellyn! I'll confess to you and to you only. I touch it up a little with a special pencil I have for the purpose. I have perfect teeth ... you too, sister ... and the mole being where it is just calls attention to them. That's why they used to wear patches in the past. I wish we did now. How amusing that you should have one just in the same place. I tell you what we'll do. I'll touch yours up to accentuate it and we'll dress up as each other. Oh, it is exciting, finding you, Suewellyn!"

"Yes," I said, "it is."

"You must show me the island. I like the doctor. Are you going to marry him? He's rather handsome, isn't he? Not as distinguished as our dear papa, but then it is hard for anyone to compare with a Mateland. Don't you agree?"

"I think Philip is handsome," I said. "And we are not engaged to be married."

"Not ... yet," she said. I had a feeling that Susannah could see right through me. She fascinated me and at the same time made me feel very uncomfortable. My thoughts were in such a whirl and I was so entranced by her appearance that I could scarcely take in what she was saying. She was like me and yet so different. She was what I might have been if I had lived in a different world ... a world of castles and gracious living. That was the difference. Susannah exuded confidence; she believed herself to be fascinating and beautiful and, because she believed it, she was. Her features were so like mine that she could not have been so much more attractive than I without that belief. I was suddenly struck by the fact that I might have been exactly like her.

She was watching me in the mirror and again I had that uncomfortable feeling that she could read my thoughts.

She went on as though I had spoken. "Yes, we are alike ... taken feature by feature. Your nose is only a trifle longer than mine. But noses are important. Remember Cleopatra's? If it had been a fraction longer—or was it shorter—it would have changed the history of the world, someone said, didn't they? Well, I don't think that difference in our noses changes so much. I look slightly more pert than you do ... saucier, more irreverent. But perhaps that's my upbringing. Our mouths are different too. Yours is much sweeter—a rosebud of a mouth. Mine's wider ... it shows I'm very fond of the good things of life. Our eyes ... the same shape, the color very slightly different. You are a little fairer than I. Looking at us like this, the resemblance is not so striking, but if we dressed up ...if we impersonated each other ... oh, that would be another story. Let's do it one day, Suewellyn. We'll see if we can deceive them. I doubt we could Anabel. I am sure she knows every inch of your face. You are her little ewe lamb, aren't you? Do you know I was always aware of some secret Anabel was biding. It's hard to look back all those years. Can you look back, Suewellyn?"