iled, half lifted dubious brows, and shrugged slightly.

"She's _enormously_ improved," Miss Toland said sharply. "She wears an
extremely becoming uniform now."

"She's evidently got _your_ number, Auntie," Barbara said, watching three
young men who were entering the room. "She evidently knows that you're
nutty about appearances!"

"I am not nutty about appearances at all," her aunt responded, as she
attacked an elaborate ice. "I like things done decently, and I like to
see Julia in her nice, trim dresses. That Eastern woman I tried, Miss
Knox, wouldn't hear of wearing a uniform--not she! Julia has more
sense."

"I expect that Julia hasn't an idea in her head that you haven't put
there," Barbara said dryly.

"Don't you believe it!" her aunt said with fire. She seemed ready for
further speech, but interrupted herself, and was contented with a mere
repetition of her first words, "Don't you _believe_ it."

"Your geese are all swans, Sanna," Mrs. Toland said, with a tolerant
smile.

"Very likely," Miss Toland said briefly, drinking off her black coffee
at a draught. "Now," she went on briskly, "where are you good people
going? Julia's to meet me here in the Turkish Room at two; we have to
pick out a hundred books, to start our library."

"It's after that now," Barbara said. "She's probably waiting. Let's go
out that way, Mother, and walk over to Sutter?"

They sauntered along the wide passage to the Turkish Room, and just
before they reached it a young woman came toward them, a slender, erect
person, under whose neatly buttoned long coat showed the crisp hem of a
blue linen dress. Julia bowed briefly to the mother and daughter, but
her eyes were only for Miss Toland. She was nervous and constrained;
bright colour had come into her cheeks; she could not speak. But Barbara
merely thought that the cheap little common actress had miraculously
improved in appearance and manner, and noted the blue, blue eyes, and
the glittering sweep of hair under Julia's neat hat, and Miss Toland
felt herself curiously touched by the appealing look that Julia gave
her.

"Now for the books, Julia," said she, beaming approval. The two went off
together, chattering like friends and equals.

"What does Aunt Sanna _see_ in her?" marvelled Barbara, watching.

"Your aunt is peculiar," Mrs. Toland said, with vague disapproval,
compressing her lips.

"Well, the way she runs The Alexander is curious, to say the least,"
Barbara commented v