eside this?"

Judith's eyes snapped in a way that Matilda resolved she would not
provoke again.

"More stores?" she said. "New York is _all_ stores, except the streets
where people live."

"Does nobody live in the streets where the stores are?" Matilda could
not help asking.

"No. Nobody but the people that live _in_ the stores, you know; that's
nobody."

Matilda's thoughts were getting rather confused than enlightened;
however the party came now, passing by a great variety of counters and
goods displayed, to a region where Matilda saw there was a small host
of cloaks, hung upon frames or stuffed figures. Here Mrs. Laval sat
down on a sofa and made Matilda sit down, and called for something that
would suit the child's age and size. Velvet, and silk and cloth, and
shaggy nondescript stuffs, were in turn brought forward; Matilda saw no
satin. Mrs. Laval was hard to suit; and Matilda thought Judith was no
help, for she constantly put in a word for the articles which Mrs.
Laval disapproved. Matilda was not consulted at all, and indeed neither
was Miss Judy. At last a cloak was chosen, not satin, nor even silk,
nor even cloth; but of one of those same shaggy fabrics which looked
coarse, Matilda thought. But she noticed that the price was not low,
and that consoled her. The cloak was taken down to the carriage, and
they left the store.

"Where now, aunt Zara?" said Judith. "We are pretty well lumbered up
with packages."

"To get rid of some of them," said Mrs. Laval. "I am going to
Fournissons's."

What that meant, Matilda could not guess. The drive was somewhat long;
and then the carriage stopped before a plain-looking house in a very
plain-looking street. Here they all got out again, and taking the
various parcels which contained Matilda's dresses, they went in. They
mounted to a common little sitting-room, where some litter was strewn
about on the floor. But a personage met them there for whom Matilda
very soon conceived a high respect; she knew so much. This was Mme.
Fournissons; the mantua-maker who had the pleasure of receiving Mrs.
Laval's orders. So she said; but Matilda thought the orders rather came
from the other side. Mme. Fournissons decided promptly how everything
ought to be made, and just what trimming would be proper in each case;
and proceeded to take Matilda's measure with a thorough-bred air of
knowing her business which impressed Matilda very much. Tapes unrolled
themselves deftly, and pins we