tn't to have holes in them," commented Aimee.

"But how can you help it if you have n't got the money to buy new ones?"
asked Mollie.

"You ought to mend them," said the wise one.

"Mend them!" echoed Mollie, regarding two or three bare pink finger-tips
dubiously. "They are not worth mending."

"They were once," said Aimee; "and you ought to have stitched them
before it was too late. But that is always our way," wrinkling her
forehead with her usual touch of old-young anxiousness. "We are not
practical. There! take the parcel and walk quickly, Mollie."

Once on the street, Mollie certainly obeyed her. With the parcel in one
arm, and with one hand thrust into the convenient pocket, she hurried
on her way briskly, not even stopping once to look at the shop windows.
Quite unconscious, too, was she of the notice she excited among the
passers-by. People even turned to look after her more than once, as
indeed they often did. The scarlet scarf twisted round her throat to
hide the frayed jacket collar, and the bit of scarlet mixed with the
trimmings of her hat contrasted artistically with her brown eyes, and
added brightness to the color on her cheeks. It was no wonder that men
and women alike, in spite of their business-like hurry, found time to
glance at her and even turn their heads over their shoulders to look
backward, as she made her way along the pavement.

It was quite dark when she reached her destination, and Brabazon Lodge
was brilliantly lighted up,--so brilliantly, indeed, that when the heavy
front door was opened, in answer to her ring, she was a trifle dazzled
by the flood of brightness in which Dolly's friend, the "gentleman at
leisure," seemed to stand.

On stating her errand, she was handed over to a female servant, who
stood in the hall.

"She was to be harsked in," she heard the footman observe,
confidentially, to the young woman, "and taken to Miss Crewe's room
immediate."

So she was led up-stairs, and ushered into a pretty bedroom, where she
found Dolly sitting by the fire in a dressing-gown, with her hair about
her shoulders.

She jumped up the moment Mollie entered, and ran to her, brush in hand,
to kiss her.

"You are a good child," she said. "Come to the fire and sit down. Did
you have any trouble in finding the house? I was afraid you would. It
was just like me to forget the dress, and I never missed it until I
began to look for it, wanting to wear it to-night. How is Tod?"

"He has g