en to be carpet slippers.
I'd look a guy. What are you taking off that shoe for anyway? That
foot's all right!'

"`It wouldn't be right long. One flat shoe and one French heel make a
poor pair. You are going to wear both.'

"`They're miles too large. They'd fall off on the road.'

"`Oh, no they won't. I'll take care of that,' he said coolly, and took
from his pocket two strong black bootlaces which he proceeded to
criss-cross over the instep and round the ankles. She sat quite still
watching him, her eyes very bright, her hands twisted together on her
lap. When he had finished she put out her feet and stared at them--they
_did_ look boats!--then she looked down at him. He was still kneeling,
and there was not a sound to be heard in that kitchen but the tick of
the old clock and the beat, beat, beat of Pixie O'Shaughnessy's heart.

"`Don't you care,' said she softly, `a mite _how_--I--look?'

"`Not a mite,' says he coolly. `I care how you _feel_!'

"There was a look in his eyes which was not carpet slippers, far from
it, and Honor leaped up and swept to the door with what was intended to
be a haughty `sweep,' but the slippers pad-padded at each step in a sort
of shuffle, which was the unhaughtiest thing you could possibly imagine.
Then Mr Carr gathered up the two tiny brown shoes and dusted them
carefully with his handkerchief, and slipped one into each pocket of his
Norfolk coat. Honor never bothered about her shoes: I suppose you don't
when you own factories, but Mr Carr walked all the way with his hands
in his pockets as if he had got something there that he liked to hold.

"The children of the village followed us as we went, and called out,
`Hi, look at her feet! Hi, Miss, is there room for me in them
slippers?' as of course they would, bless them! And I will say for her
she took it smiling.

"Two miles along the road the car met us, poor Dawson apoplectic with
distress and confusion. The engine had gone wrong, and he had had a
terrible time getting it put right, and was distracted because he could
find no way of sending on the hampers. We tumbled in and whirled home
in peace and safety, but some of us were glad it had not come before.

"Don't you wonder how I've accomplished this mammoth letter? There are
so many times a day in this house when one has to dress in something
different, to do the next thing on the programme, and experience has
proved that I change in about a quarter the time ta