ather."

"No, I haven't seen it. But I am glad you decided on a church
wedding--there is such a difference between a wedding and just a
marriage."

Beatrice shoved the box of lingerie away. "Those are all wrong, so
back they go; and I can't help it if that woman does need money, I
told her I wanted a full inch-and-a-half beading and she has put this
crochet edge all round everywhere. I shan't accept a single piece!"

Whereupon she sat down at her dressing table and rang for her maid.
Madame Pompadour herself had no lovelier boudoir than Beatrice. It was
replete with rose-coloured taffeta curtains, padded sky-blue silk
walls with garlands of appliqued flowers. Lace frills covered every
possible object; the ivory furniture was emphasized by smart rose
upholstery, and the dressing table itself fairly dazzled one by the
array of gold-topped bottles and gold-backed brushes.

Johanna, the maid, began brushing the sunshiny hair, the Gorgeous Girl
stamping her feet as snarls asserted themselves.

"Two more days before the wedding," she complained. "There's the Twill
luncheon to-day and a bridge and tea at Marion Kavanaugh's--I hate
her, too. She gave me the most atrocious Chinese idol. I'm going to
tell her I have no proper place for it, that it deserves to be alone
in a room in order to have it properly appreciated." She laughed at
herself. "So I'll leave it for papa. The apartment won't hold but just
so much--it's a tiny affair." She laughed again, the apartment having
only eleven rooms and a profusion of iron grille work at all the
windows. "But it's a wonderful way to start--in an apartment--it is
such a good excuse for not dragging in all the terrible wedding
presents. I can leave everything I like with papa because he never
minds anything as long as he has old slippers and plenty of mince pie.
After a year or so I'm going to have a wonderful house copied after
one I saw in Italy. By then they will all have forgotten what they
gave me and I can furnish it so we won't have to go about wearing
blinders.... The blue dress, Jody, that's right."

"And what is it to-night?" her aunt asked, meekly.

"The Farmsworth dinner; and to-morrow another luncheon and the garden
party at the club. Then the dinner here, rehearsal; and Wednesday,
thank heaven, it will be all ended!"

Johanna helped fasten the king's-blue satin with seed-pearl trimmings
and place a trig black hat atilt on the yellow hair.

"The ermine scarf, please.