en I can have two of them, Julia! and I can
send one of them to Priscilla, for poor Priscilla has spent all her
money on fireworks, and hasn't anything to remember me by."

"I should keep them both," said Julia. "If she chose to spend her
money on fireworks, that is her lookout. We could have more fun if you
had the kitchen and parlour furniture, too."

"Yes, we could," said Molly. "I must look round a little more before
I decide," she added prudently. "Oh, Julia, see that pretty pink stuff
with white spots on it! How becoming that would be to Sylvia! It takes
only half-a-yard for her dress. How much is it for half-a-yard?"

"It is one shilling and a halfpenny a yard," the assistant replied.

"How much would that be for half-a-yard, Julia?"

"I don't know."

"We don't know how much it would be for half-a-yard," said Molly
appealingly.

"Well, we would charge you sixpence."

"Sixpence!" said Molly. She was almost sorry, for if it had cost more
she could not have bought it, and it would have been a little easier
to choose.

"Look at this sweet doll, Molly," said Julia, from the other end of
the shop. "A tiny doll and yet so prettily dressed. How much is it?"

"Sixpence."

"Everything is sixpence in this shop," said Molly, in despair. "I
can't ever decide; but I have so many dolls that I don't really need
any more."

"Oh, Molly, see this!" and Julia paused before a tall round basket. A
white card hung above it, and on this card was printed in large black
letters:

THE LUCKY DIP

3d. a Dip

EACH ARTICLE FULLY WORTH DOUBLE

Julia pushed up the cover of the basket, and she and Molly peeped in
over the top. There were flat parcels to be seen and three-cornered
parcels, and long ones and square ones, and they were all done up in
tissue paper. There was something very interesting and mysterious
about the dip. Those paper packages might have something in them even
rarer and more beautiful than the paper dolls, or the furniture, or
the pink stuff.

"You could have two dips for sixpence," Julia suggested. "You could
dip and I could dip, and I could give you what I get."

She was longing to know the contents of a certain interesting
irregular parcel.

"The furniture is so sweet," said Molly, "and I am sure I want it."

"The paper dolls are sweet, too," said Julia.

"Yes, and so is the pink stuff. I shall _have_ to take a dip to decide
it."

Meanwhi