“Well, it’s true!” Julia said, sighing.  She looked with real admiration at the capable, black-clad figure, the clear-skinned, black-eyed face of Madame Carroll’s chief assistant.  “Why don’t you ever come and have lunch with me, Evelyn?” she demanded affectionately.

“Oh, Lord, dearie!” Evelyn said, in her most professional way, as she pencilled a list of young Mrs. Studdiford’s proportions on a printed card, “this season Madame has our lunches, and even our dinners, sent in—­simply one rush!  But some time I’d love to.”

“You like your work, don’t you, Evelyn?” Julia said curiously.

“You go tell Madame I’m ready for Mrs. Addison,” Evelyn said capably to a small black-clad girl who answered her bell, “and then carry this to Minnie and tell her it’s rush—­don’t drop the pins out.  I love my work,” she added, when she and Julia were alone again; “I’m crazy about it!  The girls here are awfully nice, and some of the customers treat me simply swell—­most of them do.  This way, Julia.  Christmas time we get more presents than you could shake a stick at!” said Evelyn, opening a door.  “Good afternoon, Mrs. Addison, I’m all ready for you.”

“That’s a good girl!” the woman who was waiting in Carroll’s handsome parlour said appreciatively; she recognized Julia.  “Well, how do you do, Mrs. Studdiford?” she smiled, “so sorry not to see you on Saturday, you bad little thing!”

Julia gave her excuse.  “You know Evelyn here is my cousin?” she said, in her quiet but uncompromising way, as she hooked her sables together.

“About eleven times removed!” Evelyn said cheerfully.  “Right in here, please, Mrs. Addison!  At the same time to-morrow, Mrs. Studdiford.  Thank you, good-night.”

“Good-night!” Julia said, smiling.  For some reason she could not fathom, Evelyn never seemed willing to claim the full relationship; always assumed it to be but a hazy and distant connection.  It was as if in her success the modiste wished to recognize no element but her own worth; no wealthy or influential relative could claim to have helped her!  Julia always left her with a certain warmth at her heart.  It was good to come in contact now and then with such self-confidence, such capability, such prosperity.  “I could almost envy Evelyn!” thought Julia, spinning home in the twilight.

CHAPTER IV

The Studdifords, with some four hundred other San Francisco society folk, regarded the Browning dances as quite the most important of the winter’s social affairs, and Julia, who thoroughly liked the host and the brilliant assembly, really enjoyed them more than the smaller and more select affairs.  The Brownings were a beloved and revered institution; very few new faces appeared there from year to year, except the very choice of the annual crop of debutantes.  Little Mrs. Studdiford had made a sensation when she first came, at her handsome husband’s side, a year ago, her dazzling prettiness set off by the simplest of milk-white Paris gowns, her wonderful crown of hair wound about with pearls.  Now she was a real favourite, and at the January ball, in her second winter in society, a score of admirers assured her that her gown was the prettiest in the room.