s. Mary's exclamation expressed unmitigated distaste, but the
nymph was plainly accustomed to such manifestations, and not to be
discouraged thereby. She merely proceeded to drop it in place, like a
basin covering a mould, remarking in airy tones that "it looked
different on the head."

It did. Sheer horror at her own appearance gave Mary strength to tear
it off, and declare that nothing would induce her to be seen in such a
monstrosity, whereupon the nymph smiled with an ineffable forbearance,
and produced another model more exaggerated than the first. It was
during the sixth sortie for fresh supplies that Mary seized her own hat,
and thrust in the pins with feverish haste. Not another moment would
she remain to be tortured. Was not her mind already stored with six
nightmare portraits of her own visage, staring horror-stricken beneath
preposterous erections? She would say that she was pressed for time;
that she would call again; that she was sorry that she cared for
nothing... but the nymph on returning allowed no time for explanations.
She exhibited no surprise at the visible signs of the customer's revolt;
it appeared indeed that she was prepared for their appearance, and for
her own counter-movement. She wheeled round, sent a Marconi signal
towards the far end of the room, and from behind the shelter of a screen
stepped a new and formidable apparition, that of a woman of middle age,
of more than middle age, for beneath the elaborate coiffure of golden
hair, the large, chalk-white face was deeply lined and furrowed. It was
a horrible face, hiding beneath a stereotyped smile the marks of a
cruel, unprincipled soul. To Mary's country-bred eyes there was
something inhuman not only in the face, but also in the figure. The
enormous bust was moulded into a sheath of black satin, and thence to
the hips the body presented a straight, unbending line. The effect was
like the trunk of a tree, rather than that of a woman,--solid,
shapeless, unyielding, and the tightness about the lower limbs, the
smallness of the silk-shod feet, added to the unnaturalness of the
effect.

Mary realised at once that she was in the presence of the august head of
the establishment, and felt courage ooze from every pore, and in truth
she was helpless as a fly in the hands of this woman, whose work in life
consisted in bullying her customers into buying what they did not
desire.

Madame approached, took up her position by Mary's side, a