, if you knew the work it is to set those leaves
round," said the mantua-maker. "It takes hours and hours; and the
cording and all. And the silk you know, Mrs. Sandford, _that_ costs
nowadays. It takes a full yard of the silk, and no washy lining silk,
but good stiff dress silk. Some has 'em made of velvet, but to be
sure, that would not be suitable for a common stuff like this. It will
be very common, Mrs. Sandford, without you have it handsomely
trimmed."

"Couldn't you put some other sort of trimming?"

"Well, there's no other way that looks _distingue_ on this sort of
stuff; that's the most stylish. We could put a band of rows of black
velvet--an inch wide, or half an inch; if you have it narrower you
must put more of them; and then the sleeves and body to match; but I
don't think you would like it so well as the green leaves. A great
many people has 'em trimmed so; you like it a little out of the
common, Mrs. Sandford. Or, you could have a green ribbon."

"How much would _that_ be?" said Mrs. Sandford.

"Oh really, I don't just know," the woman answered; "depends on the
ribbon; it don't make much difference to you, Mrs. Sandford; it would
be--let me see, Oh, I suppose we could do it with velvet for you for
fifteen or twenty dollars. You see there must be buttons or rosettes
at the joinings of the velvets; and those come very expensive."

"How much would it be to make the dress plain?" I asked.

"_That_ would be plain," the mantua-maker answered quickly. "The style
is, to trim everything very much. Oh, that would be quite plain with
the velvet."

"But without any trimming at all?" I asked. "How much would that be?"
I felt an odd sort of shame at pressing the question: yet I knew I
must.

"Without trimming!" said the woman. "Oh, you could not have it
_without trimming_; there is nothing made without trimming; it would
have no appearance at all. People would think you had come out of the
country. No young ladies have their dresses made without trimming this
winter."

"Mrs. Sandford," said I, "I should like to know what the dress would
be without trimming."

"What would it be, Melinda?" The woman was only a forewoman at her
establishment.

"Oh, well, Mrs. Sandford, the naked dress I have no doubt could be
made for you for five dollars."

"You would not have it _so_, Daisy, my dear?" said Mrs. Sandford.

But I said I would have it so. It cost me a little difficulty, and a
little shrinking, I remember,