of safety, with an admonition
to be more careful.

Much ashamed, Hildegarde stood still to look about her, and found
herself at the very door of the Exchange. She went in. The room was
filled with customers. "I ought to have come in the morning," she said
to herself, and the quick blush mounted to her cheeks, as she made her
way to the counter at the back of the shop, where a sweet-faced woman
was trying to answer four questions at once.

"No, the Nuns have not come in yet. Yes, they are generally here before
this. No, I cannot tell the reason of the delay. Yes, it happened once
before, when the maker was ill. I do not know why more people do not
make them. Yes, just the one person, so far as I know. Marguerites? Yes,
madam,--in one moment. The orange biscuits will come in at two o'clock.
No, we have never had them earlier than that. Perhaps you are thinking
of the lemon cheese-cakes. These are the lemon cheese-cakes."

She paused for breath, and looked anxiously round. It was plain that she
was expecting assistance, and equally plain that it was late in coming.
Hildegarde stepped quietly round behind the counter.

"Can I help you?" she whispered.

The lady gave her a grateful glance. "I should be so thankful," she
murmured. "All these ladies must be served instantly. The prices are all
marked."

The lady who had demanded the "Nuns" had also paused for breath, being
stout as well as clamorous; but she now returned to the attack.
Hildegarde met her with a calm front, and eyes which tried not to smile.

"Can you--oh! this is a different person. Perhaps _you_ can tell me why
the Nuns are not here. It really seems an extraordinary thing that they
should not be here at the usual time."

"The messenger may have lost a train, or something of that sort,"
suggested Hildegarde, soothingly.

"Oh, but that would be no excuse! No excuse at all! When one is in the
habit of supplying things to people of consequence, one must not lose
trains. Now, are you _perfectly sure_ that they have not come? You know
what they are, do you? Little round cakes, with a raisin in the middle,
and flavoured with something special. I don't remember what the flavour
is, but it is something special, of that I am sure. Have you
looked--have you looked everywhere? What is in that box at your elbow?
They might have been brought in and laid down without your noticing it.
Oblige me by looking in that box at your elbow."

A sudden thought flashed in