CHAPTER XXIII
MARGARET FISHER, the buxom chaperon of Helène Barton, soon settled down to her life in New York as she had planned it with her friend in Hanover. The day following their landing she was again in the spacious rooms of the Modiste establishment known as “Lucile’s,” and, as of old, one of its moving spirits.
As she had predicted, she found it no difficult matter to interest Madame Lucile (a canny Scotchwoman from Glasgow by way of Dublin and London and a two years’ sojourn in “Paree”) in her young protegée. Madame no sooner set her shrewd eyes on Helène than she became at once interested. She realized at a glance the business possibilities in a girl of her refined manners, winning ways and pretty foreign speech. These qualities were certain to subdue the most petulant and exacting of her clients. And when she found that the girl also possessed both an excellent taste in colors and an unusual gift for design, she knew that a treasure had been brought to her.
Helène was installed in a little room at the rear devoted to the assembling of the ornaments for the finishing of those exclusive hats so coveted by the ladies of New York, and it was not long before she became indispensable to this department. Under her deft fingers and with her enthusiastic good taste and happy inspirations, lean old maids would be transformed into blushing “buds,” and faded society leaders of many seasons would reappear as enterprising and yet dignified dames. She knew instinctively when to apply velvet and where to mass flimsy, foamy billows. She knew how to bend the brim of a hat so as to bring out the good feature of a face; she would select just the very sprig of flowers and give just the right droop of plume; and she did it all with such grace, good-will and a winning smile, accentuating her actions with words spoken in so exquisite an accent, that there was no resisting her. Margaret’s prediction came true; the second month brought Helène an increase in her salary, and she became the happy recipient of a hundred dollars a month.
Helène (Madame had rebaptized her with the professional Heloise, Helen not being, in her opinion, sufficiently “French”), Madame Lucile determined, was too valuable to lose. Rather than any rival concern on the avenue should entice her from her she would double the girl’s salary. But, of course, this was only breathed to herself in the secrecy of her private office.
The two girls became closer friends than ever and grew more and more attached to each other. Margaret, in particular, seemed to have found in the younger and more cultured Helène an object for the satisfaction of her maternal instincts. No effort was too great, no care too exacting, if only her little friend was made the happier by it. She timed her lunch hour to coincide with Helène’s; she accompanied her on her shopping expeditions; she would take her away from her designing and bring her home for rest. Rather than Helène should go home alone, she would wait an hour for her. At the Trust Company it was Margaret who opened the bank account in her friend’s name and deposited every Monday the little surplus of wealth. She selected the style of her dresses and the material; she fussed over them, sewed them, fitted and trimmed them. She never tired of admiring the little feet, the pretty hands and the wonderful hair. The dressing of this hair for select occasions was one of Margaret’s chief delights. If her “darling” had a cold or a slight headache, she would nurse and pet her, and be the happier in doing it.
And Helène would accept this devotion laughingly, knowing that it was given in love, and would return that love with sweet and gentle affection. She was very happy both in her work, which was pleasant and interesting, and in their rooms, which were cozy and “homey.”
At the boarding-house Margaret Fisher was a general favorite. Her ready good-humor, her quick wit and her unaffected, if somewhat slangy, speech, always found a ready acceptance and a responsive laugh. She was ever ready with her help and sympathy, willing to listen and equal to a gossip.