"My friends wish to see about some motor things, also," remarked Cora. "What would you think of having them all alike—for us there?"
This brought on such a discussion, madam talking more in French than
English, and Belle was kept busy translating for her sister.
The madam preferred giving the young ladies such hoods and cloaks as would best suit their complexions. Bess should have a brown one—just running to the shade of her hair, but not quite reaching it, and Belle needed a dark blue—for only a true blond can wear dark blue and not look old in it.
So madam explained. But the twins would not decide, after all, until their mother could be consulted, so the order was not definitely placed.
When they were about to leave, and madam had vanished behind the silken draperies, Bess turned to one of the hat sticks, upon which rested a most conspicuous piece of headgear.
"Oh, look at that!" she exclaimed. "Isn't it awful?"
"It certainly is ridiculous!" chimed in Belle, taking the motor hood, for such it was, off the support and holding it up for inspection.
"That's certainly what madam calls a 'creation,'" said Cora.
"Who in the world would ever wear that?" asked Bess with a laugh.
"I expected to," unexpectedly replied a voice behind them. The three girls turned quickly to confront Ida Giles. She had come in so quietly that they had not heard her. Cora, Belle and Bess looked dumfounded.