Their Aunt Honoria and their mother had gone out to pay calls; they were alone.
Jeanie flushed. "A gentleman to see her" made her heart beat, but the gentleman that entered was quite unknown. He bowed very politely and looked at the sisters critically.
"Excuse me, ladies, but five minutes will suffice."
Five minutes! The sisters looked at each other in dismay. Had Miles let in a lunatic?
The stranger looked at a letter he held in his hand.
"Surely I am not mistaken. Two Miss Hamiltons at Waycott Hall. The order to be executed immediately. I shall take the next train back to town and twenty individuals are put on at once on each dress; by to-morrow at ten o'clock you will have two creations. If you will permit me." A yard measure came swiftly out of the gentleman's pocket, and before the astonished girls could speak, their measures were taken and the gentleman bowed low and retired.
"Oh!" exclaimed Jeanie, "it's Aunt Honoria! She heard me say I had nothing to wear! But she might have asked us what colour we wanted."
"As she didn't, we had better say nothing about it. Perhaps she sent the measures and the gentleman wanted to make sure," said Maud. A faint idea had entered her head, but she would not for the world have told Jeanie.
"Yes, you are right—I must say it's nice of her. I should have been ashamed to play in that old blue or white muslin!—Not that it matters much."
When Aunt Honoria came in she found Maud waiting for her.