‘And now tell me,’ said Mrs. Barton, ’what pretty things have you that would make up nicely for trains?’

’Trains, Mrs. Barton?  We have some sweet things that would make up beautifully for trains.  Miss Cooper, will you kindly fetch over that case of silks that we had over yesterday from Paris?’

’The young ladies must be, of course, in white; for Miss Olive I should like, I think, snowdrops; for you, Mrs. Barton, I am uncertain which of two designs I shall recommend.  Now, this is a perfectly regal material.’

With words of compliment and solicitation, the black-dressed assistant displayed the armouries of Venus—­armouries filled with the deep blue of midnight, with the faint tints of dawn, with strange flowers and birds, with moths, and moons, and stars.  Lengths of white silk clear as the notes of violins playing in a minor key; white poplin falling into folds statuesque as the bass of a fugue by Bach; yards of ruby velvet, rich as an air from Verdi played on the piano; tender green velvet, pastoral as hautboys heard beneath trees in a fair Arcadian vale; blue turquoise faille fanciful as the tinkling of a guitar twanged by a Watteau shepherd; gold brocade, sumptuous as organ tones swelling through the jewelled twilight of a nave; scarves and trains of midnight-blue profound as the harmonic snoring of a bassoon; golden daffodils violent as the sound of a cornet; bouquets of pink roses and daisies, charmful and pure as the notes of a flute; white faille, soft draperies of tulle, garlands of white lilac, sprays of white heather, delicate and resonant as the treble voices of children singing carols in dewy English woods; berthas, flounces, plumes, stomachers, lappets, veils, frivolous as the strains of a German waltz played on Liddell’s band.

An hour passed, but the difficulty of deciding if Olive’s dress should be composed of silk or Irish poplin was very great, for, determined that all should be humiliated, Mrs. Barton laid her plans amid designs for night and morning; birds fluttering through leafy trees, birds drowsing on bending boughs, and butterflies folding their wings.  At a critical moment, however, an assistant announced that Mrs. Scully was waiting.  The ladies started; desperate effort was made; rosy clouds and veils of silver tissue were spoken of; but nothing could be settled, and on the staircase the ladies had to squeeze into a corner to allow Violet and Mrs. Scully to pass.

’How do you do, Olive?  How do you do, Alice? and you, Mrs. Barton, how do you do?  And what are you going to wear?  Have you decided on your dress?’

‘Oh!  That is a secret that could be told to no one; oh, not for worlds!’ said Mrs. Barton.

‘I’m sure it will be very beautiful,’ replied Mrs. Scully, with just a reminiscence of the politeness of the Galway grocery business in her voice.

‘I hear you have taken a house in Fitzwilliam Square for the season?’ said Mrs. Barton.