uty hereafter to deserve it.
And he gave his address: "Lawrence Osgood, Fourteenth St., New York."

It was evident that the "necessary preparations" for Madeline's
appearance in this new _role_ could not be made in Hendrik. Miss Wimple
was distressingly sensitive for the safety of her _protegee_ from
scandalous discovery. Even she herself could not expend any
considerable portion of Mr. Osgood's advance without arousing
surmise and provoking dangerous prying. Besides, how should she get
the money for the check?--to whom dare she confess herself in
possession of it? Of course, _there_ was a conclusive impossibility.
Nevertheless, something must be done at once to put Madeline at
least in travelling trim; for the things of which--to use her own
sensitive expression--Miss Wimple had "cleansed" her when she came
were out of the question. It was as true of this poor young lady in
her trunkless plight, as of any dishevelled Marius in crinoline, who
sits down and weeps among the brand-new ruins of a Carthage of satin,
lawns, and laces, that she had Nothing to Wear. So Miss Wimple,
encouraged by the happy success of the Hoop stratagem, forthwith
began to cast about her; and for the present Mr. Osgood's letter and
the check were hushed up in her bosom.

Now Miss Wimple and Madeline Splurge were examples of how much our
views of a person's character have to do with our notions of his or
her stature or carriage. All Hendrik spoke of the demure heroine of
the skimped delaine as "_Little_ Miss Wimple"; and Madeline, though
the youngest of the sisters, was universally known as "Miss Splurge,"
--as it were, awfully. Yet Miss Wimple and Madeline were almost
exactly "of a size," by any measurement, and Miss Wimple's clothes
were a sweet fit for Madeline; the petticoat experiment had
discovered that. So the skimped delaine, Miss Wimple thought, must
be promoted to the proud person of the handsome Madeline, and
something must be found to take its place.

Now, among store of respectable family-rubbish, scrupulously saved
by half a graveyard-full of female relations,--for the women-folk of
the Wimples had been ever noted for their thrift,--a certain quaint
garment had come down to Sally from her great-grandmother. It was a
black "silken wonder," wherewith, no doubt, that traditionally dear,
delightful creature was wont to astonish the streets, in the days of
her vanity and frivolous vexation of spirit.

A generous expanse of cape perta