as the girls themselves. She had been personally
interviewed by Mr Farrell and coached for her part, which was to
chaperon the girls, take them to the best places in which to procure
their various requirements, but on no account whatever to direct the
purchases, or limit their extent.

"It is a good test; I wish to study it," said the old man, which speech
being repeated, Ruth looked grave, and Mollie laughed, and cried--

"There is only one question I shall ask you, `Do I look nice?' and one
piece of advice, `Which suits me best?' and you are free to answer them
both. In the present instance these hats are all so fascinating that it
would be a sin to choose between them. I shall take them all!"

"Mollie, don't be absurd. You shall do nothing of the kind. Four hats,
and you have two already! It would be wicked extravagance!" protested
Ruth vigorously.

But Mollie persisted, and the attendant volubly declared that indeed
"madam" was wrong. Six hats was a very moderate allowance. Madam would
need different hats for different occasions,--for morning and afternoon,
for fine and wet weather, for ordinary and dress occasions. Would she
herself not be persuaded to try on this charming model, the latest
French fashion, "ridiculously cheap at three guineas?"

"Thank you, I'll take the white hat, and the black chiffon. They will
answer all my purposes," declared Ruth frigidly.

She was shocked at Mollie's wanton extravagance, and all the more
disapproving that she herself badly wanted to be extravagant too, and
wear dainty colours for a change, instead of the useful black and white,
if only her sensitive conscience could have submitted to the outlay.

If hats had been a pitfall, dresses were even worse, for here the prices
were largely increased. It was a new experience to be ushered into what
looked more like a luxurious house than a shop, and to find oneself
confronted by a row of tall, willowy young women dressed in tightly
fitting black satin garments, so marvellously representing dress-stands
that they might have been mistaken for them had it not been for the
elaborately dressed heads.

"This is a very expensive place--just for your very best dresses," Mrs
Thornton ventured to explain; and the order, "Summer gowns for these
young ladies," having been given, presto! the animated dress-stands
disappeared through a doorway, to return a few minutes later to
promenade slowly up and down the floor before the daz