Cicely shrank back into the corner, with her face hidden against
the wall. Never in her life had she been so utterly friendless and
alone.

Miss Balfour's disappointed exclamation over the stained dress reached
the girl's ears. She heard madame's eager suggestions of possible
remedies, and then Miss Shelby's cold tones:

"Now if it had been the bodice, it would not have been so bad. It
could have been hidden by some of the ribbons or lace or flowers; but
to have it right down the middle of the front breadth--that's _too_
hopeless! There's nothing for it but to make over the skirt and put in
a whole new breadth. There isn't time for that, I suppose, before this
evening."

Madame looked at the clock and shook her head. "Ze women air rush to
ze grave now," she said. "Zay work half ze night las' night. Zat is
why zis girl say she air so nairvous zat she could not help ze needle
stab herself."

"I could just sit down and cry, I am so disappointed!" exclaimed Miss
Balfour. "I had set my heart on going to the party, and in that
dress."

Cicely's sobs shook her harder than ever as the words reached her, and
her tears started afresh. Miss Shelby's voice broke in:

"I am surprised that you would keep such a careless assistant, madame.
Of course, you will expect to make the loss good to my cousin. It will
ruin your trade to keep incompetent employees. It would be better to
let the woman go."

"It is a young girl which I have jus' take," said madame, with another
shrug. "I have feel for her because she was an orphan, and I take her
in ze goodness of my heart. Behold how she repay me! Disappoint my
customers, ruin my beesness!"

She was pointing to the stains and working herself up into a passion
again, when Miss Balfour interrupted her.

"I should like to see the girl, madame. Will you please call her?"

"_Certainement!_ Willingly, mademoiselle! Ze plaisure shall be yours
for to scold ze careless creature."

Cicely heard and shivered. It had been hard enough to bear madame's
angry reproaches, but to have the added burden of Miss Balfour's
displeasure was more than she could endure--the displeasure of the
only one who had smiled on her since she left Marcelle! A moment later
madame confronted her, and Rhoda could hear the girl's sobs.

"Oh, I can't go in! Indeed I can't, madame! It nearly kills me to
think I have spoiled that lovely dress, and that she cannot go
to-night after all. I wouldn't have done it for the wo