on the seventh floor ourselves. Who so truly swell as we?"
Judy got out of the taxi with such an assumption of great style that the
chauffeur, much impressed, demanded a larger _pourboire_ than she saw
fit to give him.

"They always try to make you pay more, no matter what you offer. I am
adamant, however, where cabbies and chauffeurs are concerned. Papa says,
'Look after the tips and the legitimate expenses will look after
themselves.' So I look after the tips and trust to luck for the rest to
come out right. I am not much of an economist, I fear, but I am
learning, now that I am on a strict allowance."

An elevator, so slow that its progress was almost imperceptible, took
them to the fifth floor where Mrs. Pace was in readiness to receive
them. Her greeting was very cordial and condescending. She seemed to be
taking them under her protecting wing, giving them to understand that
with her they had nothing more to fear or worry about; and as Molly and
her mother had nothing in particular to worry about and certainly
nothing to fear, they were very much amused by her attitude toward them.
Judy was purple with suppressed merriment as Mrs. Pace advised them to
go right to bed, to rest up from their long journey, poor sick,
miserable, friendless females.

Mrs. Brown assured her that she was not at all tired and never felt
better in her life; that she had made many friends on the steamer; and
that she would freshen up a bit with some soap and water and then go out
for a walk with Miss Julia Kean. Mrs. Brown had reckoned without her
host, however, as the intrepid Mrs. Pace took them to their room on the
seventh floor, just across the hall from Judy's, and did not leave them
until they were in their kimonos and actually lying down.

"You must not try to keep up, dear ladies, when you are overfatigued and
ill. Bed is the best place for you, bed and quiet. Miss Kean had better
leave you now and let you have a little nap."

While Mrs. Pace talked, she had plumped up their pillows and lowered the
shade of the one large window, opened their suitcases and got out their
kimonos and, despite their feeble protest, had actually undressed them
and put them to bed! Then, forcibly ejecting Judy, she shut the door
with admonitions for them to sleep until dinner at six-thirty.

Judy went very dutifully to her room until she heard the last of Mrs.
Pace's ponderous tread on the stairs; then she crept softly to the
Browns' door and gently