she slept, and woke to find Cornelia leaning back in
her chair watching her, while the book lay closed on her lap. For a
moment she hardly recognised the face which she had always seen
animated, self-confident, and defiant, but which was now softened into
so sweet a tenderness. A lightning thought flashed through her mind
that it was thus Cornelia would look, if ever in the time to come she
watched by the bedside of her own child. She smiled lazily, and
stretched out a caressing hand.

"Why, Cornelia, have you been sitting there all the time? How dull for
you! How long have I been asleep?"

"It's half after five, so we must be lively, if I am to get back in time
to settle the old ladies, and get ready for dinner. Hustle now! I'll
help you to shed your own duds, and then pipe up for the transformation!
That tea-gown's the limit! I thought I knew the last thing there was
to learn about clothes, but I wouldn't be above going in for a course of
too-ition from the woman who fixed those frills! This is going to be an
historic occasion for you, my friend. Your sinful nature is kinder dead
to the joys of frillies, but there's going to be a big awakening! The
woman isn't born who could come out of that gown the same as she went
in!" She lifted the blue serge skirt over Elma's head, and surveyed the
plain hem with tragic eyes. "It's pretty hard luck to be born a woman
instead of a man, but it softens it some to have a swirl of frills round
one's ankles! If I'd to poke around with a hem, I'd give up
altogether.--Now, then, sit still where you are, while I fix your hair!
I'm going to do it a way of my own, that will be more comfy for leaning
up against cushions. If you don't like it you can say so, but I guess
you will."

She brushed the soft light tresses to the top of Elma's head, and
arranged them skilfully in massed-up curls and loops. From time to time
she retreated a step or two as if to study the effect, returning to
heighten a curl, or loosen the sweep over the forehead. In reality she
was reproducing, as nearly as possible, the coiffure of one of the
beauties in miniature hanging on the drawing-room walls behind the couch
on which Elma would probably pass the evening. It might chance that the
eyes of mother or son would observe the likeness between the two girlish
faces, a fact which could not but score in Elma's favour!

When the dainty white robe was fastened, and each ribbon and lace patted
into it