she's not."

"Hang it all!" said Dr. O'Grady. "It can't be that. I told her
distinctly that she'd be allowed to hand over the illuminated address.
What more can she want?"

"It's all spite and jealousy," said Mrs. Gregg, "and Mary Ellen will
look perfectly hideous."

"Mary Ellen," said Dr. O'Grady, "have you made up your mind yet which of
those two dresses you'd like?"

"I have," said Mary Ellen.

"She'd like the white muslin, of course," said Mrs. Gregg. "No girl
would choose----"

"I'd like the both of them," said Mary Ellen.

"You shall have them," said Dr. O'Grady. "That's the best way I see
out of the difficulty. Mrs. Gregg, you get the dress you want for her,
privately, without saying a word about it. Agree with everything Mrs.
Ford says, and let her order a red flannel petticoat if she likes."

"But which will she wear?" said Mrs. Gregg, "for if she's to be dressed
in a ridiculous stuffy grey tweed----"

"She'll wear your one, of course," said Dr. O'Grady. "She'll put it
on and stand in the middle of the square just underneath the statue.
There'll be a large crowd of people, and it will be too late for Mrs.
Ford to do anything. She can't change the girl's clothes in the street."

"Don't count on any delicacy of feeling in Mrs. Ford," said the Major.

"And will I have the both of the dresses after?" said Mary Ellen.

"You will," said Dr. O'Grady, "unless Mrs. Ford manages to drag the grey
tweed one away from you."

"She'll be furious," said Mrs. Gregg.

"She may be as furious as she likes then," said Dr. O'Grady. "She won't
be able to show it while the Lord-Lieutenant's wife is shaking hands
with her out of the motor-car, and it won't matter to us what she does
afterwards. The only thing we have to be careful about is to keep her in
a good temper----"

"You can't do that," said the Major.

"In as good a temper as possible between this and then. And now, Mrs.
Gregg, if you'll excuse my saying so, I think you and Mary Ellen had
better trot off to the dressmaker. If any further difficulty arises
refer to me at once. But I don't see how anything can. All you've got to
do is to let Mrs. Ford have her own way, and give your orders when she's
gone home."

Mrs. Gregg did not seem entirely satisfied with this settlement of her
difficulty, but she and Mary Ellen went off together to meet Mrs. Ford
at the dressmaker's.

"Women," said Dr. O'Grady, "are the devil."

He was not much better satisfied tha