ks that might be made to her,
to be quite obedient and gentle and submissive. But what was this tall
and terrible woman going to do to her? Did she really mean to cut away
those great masses of hair to which Mrs. Lavender had objected? Sheila
would have let her hair be cut willingly for her husband's sake; but
as she went to the door some wild and despairing notions came into her
head of what her husband might think of her when once she was shorn
of this beautiful personal feature. Would he look at her with
surprise--perhaps even with disappointment?

"Mind you don't keep luncheon late," he said to her as she passed him.

She but indistinctly heard him, so great was the trembling within her.
Her father would scarcely know his altered Sheila when she went back
to Borva; and what would Mairi say--Mairi who had many a time helped
her to arrange those long tresses, and who was as proud of them as if
they were her own? She followed Mrs. Lavender's tall maid up stairs.
She entered a small dressing-room and glanced nervously round. Then
she suddenly turned, looked for a moment at the woman, and said, with
tears rushing up into her eyes, "Does Mrs. Lavender wish me to cut my
hair?"

The woman regarded her with astonishment: "Cut, miss?--ma'am. I
beg your pardon. No, ma'am, not at all. I suppose it is only some
difference in the arrangement, ma'am. Mrs. Lavender is very particular
about the hair, and she has asked me to show several ladies how to
dress their hair in the way she likes. But perhaps you would prefer
letting it remain as it is, ma'am?"

"Oh no, not at all!" said Sheila, "I should like to have it just as
Mrs. Lavender wishes--in every way just as she wishes. Only, it will
not be necessary to cut any?"

"Oh no, miss--ma'am; and it would be a great pity, if I may say so, to
cut _your_ hair."

Sheila was pleased to hear that. Here was a woman who had a large
experience in such matters among those very ladies of her husband's
social circle whom she had been a little afraid to meet. Mrs. Paterson
seemed to admire her hair as much as the simple Mairi had done; and
Sheila soon began to have less fear of this terrible tiring-woman, who
forthwith proceeded with her task.

The young wife went down stairs with a tower upon her head. She was
very uncomfortable. She had seen, it is true, that this method of
dressing the hair really became her--or rather would become her in
certain circumstances. It was grand, imposing, s