he lustrous
material fell around her slender form in graceful and artistic folds.

The corsage was then put on and--wonderful to relate--it fitted her to
perfection.

"How strange! one would almost think it was made for me!" she
remarked, all unsuspicious that her measure had been accurately taken
from a dress that had been left in the city.

"Ha! ha!" laughed madam, in musical exultation, "I should say that it
was a very fortunate coincidence, and it shows that I made a wise
choice when I selected you to take Miss Kerby's place. I did not know
who else to call upon--of course I could not go out into the audience
to find some one, and thus betray my predicament to everybody; neither
could I take one of the housemaids, because she would have been sure
to blunder and be so awkward. Oh! isn't this dress just lovely?"

Thus madam chattered, while she worked, wholly unlike herself,
nervous, anxious, and covertly watching every expression of Edith's
sensitive face.

But the girl did not have the slightest suspicion that she was being
tricked.

The emergency of the moment appeared sufficient to tax the nerves of
any one to the utmost, and she attributed everything to that.

"It certainly is a very rich and elegant costume," Edith gravely
responded to the woman's query. "It seems to me to be far too nice and
elaborate for the occasion."

Mrs. Goddard reddened slightly, and shot a quick, searching look at
the girl's face.

"Well, of course it had to be nice to correspond with everything
else," she explained, "for all the other young ladies are to wear
their ball costumes, which are very elegant, and since the bride is to
be the most conspicuous of all, it would not do to have her less
richly attired. There!"--as she fastened a beautiful cluster of
orange-blossoms to the corsage and stepped back to study the
effect--"aren't you just lovely in it?"

"Now the veil," she continued, catching it up from the bed.
"Oh!"--with an expression of dismay--"we have forgotten the boots, and
you must not sit down to crush the dress. Here, support yourself upon
this chair, hold out your foot, and I will put them on for you."

And the haughty woman went down upon her knees and performed the
menial service, regardless, in her excitement, of her own elegant
costume, which was being crushed in the act.

Then the veil was adjusted, madam chatting all the while to keep the
girl's attention, and Edith, catching a glimpse of her reflecti