ts of a dozen women."

"Possibly of two dozen, dear sir," put in Hildegarde; "consider the
number of yards in all those shining folds."

"Hum! ha! precisely!" said the Colonel. "Now, Hildegarde, you have some
taste in dress, I believe; you appear to me to be a well-dressed young
woman. Now, I say, what seems to you the handsomest gown in all this
folderol, hey? the handsomest, mind you?"

"'Said the Kangaroo to the Duck, this requires a little reflection!'"
Hildegarde quoted.

"Perhaps, on the whole, that splendid purple velvet; don't you think so,
Colonel Ferrers?"

"Hum!" said the Colonel. "Ha! possibly; but--ha! hum! that--I may be
wrong, Hildegarde--but that seems to me hardly suited to a young person,
hey? More a gown for a dowager, it strikes me? I may be wrong, of
course."

"Not in the least wrong, dear sir," said Hilda, laughing. "But you said
nothing about a young person. You said 'the handsomest.'"

"Precisely," said the Colonel again. "And after all, a gown is a
temporary thing, Hugh. Now, a bit of jewelry--but now, Hildegarde, I put
it to you, if you were going to choose a gown for Elizabeth Beadle, for
example; suppose Hugh and I were going to take a present home to
Elizabeth Beadle; there's no better woman of her station in the mortal
universe, sir, I don't care who the second may be. What do you think
suitable, hey?"

"Oh, Guardian!" and "Oh, Colonel Ferrers!" cried Hugh and Hildegarde, in
a breath. "How delightful!"

"I think Hugh ought to choose," said Hildegarde, with some self-denial;
and she added to herself:

"If only he will not choose the blue and red plaid; though there is
nothing she would like so well, to be sure!"

Hugh surveyed the shining prospect with radiant eyes.

"I think you are the very kindest person in all the world!" he said. "I
think--my mind is full of thoughts, but now I will make my choice."

He was silent, and the three stood absorbed, heedless of the constantly
increasing crowd that surged and elbowed past them.

"My great-aunt is fond of bright colours," said the child, at last.
Hildegarde shivered.

"She would like best the red and blue plaid. _But_, people must not
always have the things they like best. You remember the green apples,
Guardian, and how they weren't half as good as the medicine was horrid."

"Most astonishing boy in the habitable universe!" murmured the Colonel,
under his breath. "Don't undertake to say what kind of boys there may
be in M