“How many families are going?” inquired Tom politely.
“Two,” said Betsey, carefully marking her window-sashes. “Mr. and Mrs. Delight, and Dinah and Dumpling, for one family, and Mr. and Mrs. Darling for the other. Try to think, Tom, what I ought to make.”
“Are your families going swimming?” asked Tom.
“O yes, indeed, every day.”
“Then I suggest that you make bathing-suits.”
“Of course! How stupid of me! Here I am, planning too much about trains and cottages, and not at all about clothes!”
And Tom went down-stairs, just as Mr. Betts, the carpenter, finished his cottage, and changed into Madame Bettina, the French dressmaker.
“O Madame Bettina!” said Mrs. Delight all out of breath. “We want some bathing-suits made. We’re going to the seashore!”
“That is ver’ good,” said Betsey, with Madame Bettina’s French accent (just as Mother’s dressmaker talked). “Will you have Alice-blue suits trimmed with white braid, with charming bath caps to match?”
“That sounds very pretty,” agreed Mrs. Delight. “My sister doesn’t know yet that she’s going, so hers is a great surprise. Make hers blue and mine black, so we can tell them apart, and Dinah must have one too.”