effects.

"My dear, they must be dressed, you know. I'm sure no girls in
Baslehurst cost less in the way of finery. In the ordinary way they'd
have had new frocks almost immediately."

"Bother!" Mr. Tappitt was shaving just at this moment, and dashed
aside his razor for a moment to utter this one word. He intended to
signify how perfectly well he was aware that a muslin frock prepared
for an evening party would not fill the place of a substantial
morning dress.

"Well, my dear, I'm sure the girls ain't unreasonable; nor am I.
Five-and-thirty shillings apiece for them would do it all. And I
shan't want anything myself this year in September." Now Mr. Tappitt,
who was a man of sentiment, always gave his wife some costly article
of raiment on the 1st of September, calling her his partridge and
his bird,--for on that day they had been married. Mrs. Tappitt had
frequently offered to intromit the ceremony when calling upon his
generosity for other purposes, but the September gift had always been
forthcoming.

"Will thirty-five shillings a-piece do it?" said he, turning round
with his face all covered with lather. Then again he went to work
with his razor just under his right ear.

"Well, yes; I think it will. Two pounds each for the three shall do
it anyway."

Mr. Tappitt gave a little jump at this increased demand for fifteen
shillings, and not being in a good position for jumping, encountered
an unpleasant accident, and uttered a somewhat vehement exclamation.
"There," said he, "now I've cut myself, and it's your fault. Oh dear;
oh dear! When I cut myself there it never stops. It's no good doing
that, Margaret; it only makes it worse. There; now you've got the
soap and blood all down inside my shirt."

Mrs. Tappitt on this occasion was subjected to some trouble, for the
wound on Mr. Tappitt's cheek-bone declined to be stanched at once;
but she gained her object, and got the dresses for her daughters.
It was not taken by them as a drawback on their happiness that they
had to make the dresses themselves, for they were accustomed to such
work; but this necessity joined to all other preparations for the
party made them very busy. Till twelve at night on three evenings
they sat with their smart new things in their laps and their needles
in their hands; but they did not begrudge this, as Mrs. Butler
Cornbury was coming to the brewery. They were very anxious to get the
heavy part of the work done before the Rowans shoul