st have had prophetic
souls!) And there was a white hat, with a gold buckle and a long white
ostrich feather which looked as if it had been born to shade the face of
Evelyn Clifford.

When these "confections" had been secured, Madame of the black satin and
powdered nose assured Monsieur that his Christmas purchases would be
incomplete without a certain blouse which, to an untutored eye, appeared
to be a combination of sea-foam and rose-leaves. There was a belt, too,
crusted with seed pearls; and a hanging bag to match. Oh, certainly
Monsieur would take these, and anything else which Madame could
conscientiously recommend. She could, and did, recommend several other
things; and no doubt it was a mere coincidence that they happened to be
among the most expensive in the shop. She also won Hugh's gratitude by
being able to produce a coat and a frock in which a little girl of
five, already beautiful, would be more akin to fairyhood than ordinary
childhood, and might become the "exception that would prove the rule" to
an unbelieving Jane.

The cloak was pale blue; and another shop had to be searched for a hat
to be worn with it, but Madame was most kind in directing Monsieur where
to find one. Her sister would serve him, therefore he would be well
served.

On the way, he passed a jeweller's; and exactly the right string of
pearls, and the right "swallow brooch" stared him in the face, in the
window. It was odd, how all the prettiest things in the world, of
whatever description, looked as if they ought to belong to Evelyn and
Rosemary Clifford. There was a gold bag, too; but that was a detail, for
really the principal thing he had called for was a ring with a single
diamond in it--and perhaps--well, yes--that little sapphire band to
keep it on a slender finger.

The rings, in their delicate cases, he put into his pocket when he had
paid; but the other purchases were to go in that very same now which had
been impressed upon the florist; the sort of now to which Riviera
shopkeepers are accustomed only when they deal with Americans.

Then Madame's sister was found, and a blue hat; and there was just time
left for a frantic rush to a toyshop, round a corner and up a hill.
Perhaps Doll Evie might be jealous of one rival, but there's safety in
numbers; and Hugh thought that a dozen assorted sizes, from life-size
down, would keep a doll's house from echoing with loneliness. As for the
presents for the Eze children, Rosemary was