ust not be trifled
with! Plaits for Venus, puffs for Juno, folds for Minerva. I venture to
suggest a total change of pattern. Your niece has other dresses in her
collection. Why may we not find a Minerva pattern among them?"

As she said those words, she led the way back to the wardrobe.

Mrs. Wragge followed, and took the dresses out one by one, shaking her
head despondently. Silk dresses appeared, muslin dresses appeared. The
one dress which remained invisible was the dress of which Mrs. Lecount
was in search.

"There's the lot of 'em," said Mrs. Wragge. "They may do for Venus and
the two other Ones (I've seen 'em in picters without a morsel of decent
linen among the three), but they won't do for Me."

"Surely there is another dress left?" said Mrs. Lecount, pointing to the
wardrobe, but touching nothing in it. "Surely I see something hanging in
the corner behind that dark shawl?"

Mrs. Wragge removed the shawl; Mrs. Lecount opened the door of the
wardrobe a little wider. There--hitched carelessly on the innermost
peg--there, with its white spots, and its double flounce, was the brown
Alpaca dress!

The suddenness and completeness of the discovery threw the housekeeper,
practiced dissembler as she was, completely off her guard. She started
at the sight of the dress. The instant afterward her eyes turned
uneasily toward Mrs. Wragge. Had the start been observed? It had passed
entirely unnoticed. Mrs. Wragge's whole attention was fixed on the
Alpaca dress: she was staring at it incomprehensibly, with an expression
of the utmost dismay.

"You seem alarmed, ma'am," said Mrs. Lecount. "What is there in the
wardrobe to frighten you?"

"I'd have given a crown piece out of my pocket," said Mrs. Wragge, "not
to have set my eyes on that gown. It had gone clean out of my head, and
now it's come back again. Cover it up!" cried Mrs. Wragge, throwing the
shawl over the dress in a sudden fit of desperation. "If I look at it
much longer, I shall think I'm back again in Vauxhall Walk!"

Vauxhall Walk! Those two words told Mrs. Lecount she was on the brink
of another discovery. She stole a second look at her watch. There was
barely ten minutes to spare before the time when Mr. Bygrave might
return; there was not one of those ten minutes which might not bring his
niece back to the house. Caution counseled Mrs. Lecount to go, without
running any more risks. Curiosity rooted her to the spot, and gave the
courage to stay at all h