e
kind enough to inspect the clothes for Miss Soane?"

"No, thanks. You say they're all right?"

"Yess, sir. They are heavenly be-ootiful."

"Very well. Tell Aristocrates to lay out my clothes after you have
dressed Miss Dulcie. There will be two extra people to dinner. Tell
Aristocrates. Is Miss Dulcie still asleep?"

"Yess, sir."

"All right. Wake her in time to dress her so she can come out here and
give me a chance----" He glanced at the clock "Better wake her now,
Selinda. It's time for her to dress and evacuate my quarters. I'll
take forty winks here until she's ready."

* * * * *

Barres lay dozing on the sofa when Dulcie came in.

Selinda, enraptured by her own efficiency in grooming and attiring the
girl, marched behind her, unable to detach herself from her own
handiwork.

From crown to heel the transfiguration was absolute--from the point of
her silk slipper to the topmost curl on the head which Selinda had
dressed to perfection.

For Selinda had been a lady's maid in great houses, and also had a
mania for grooming herself with the minute and thorough devotion of a
pedigreed cat. And Dulcie emerged from her hands like some youthful
sea-nymph out of a bath of foam, snowy-sweet as some fresh and
slender flower.

With a shy courage born with her own transfiguration, she went to
Barres, where he lay on the sofa, and bent over him.

She had made no sound; perhaps her nearness awoke him, for he opened
his eyes.

"Dulcie!" he exclaimed.

"Do I please you?" she whispered.

He sat up abruptly.

"You wonderful child!" he said, frankly astonished. Whereupon he got
off the sofa, walked all around her inspecting her.

"What a get-up! What a girl!" he murmured. "You lovely little thing,
you astound me! Selinda, you certainly know a thing or two. Take it
from me, you do Miss Soane and yourself more credit in your way than I
do with paint and canvas."

Dulcie blushed vividly; the white skin of Selinda also reddened with
pleasure at her master's enthusiasm.

"Tell Aristocrates to fix my bath and lay out my clothes," he said.
"I've guests coming and I've got to hustle!" And to Dulcie: "We're
going to have a little party in honour of your graduation. That's what
I have to tell you, dear. Does it please you? Do your pretty clothes
please you?"

The girl, overwhelmed, could only look at him. Her lips, vivid and
slightly parted, quivered as her breath came irregularly. Bu