"How much would that be?" said Mrs. Sandford.
"Oh really, I don't just know," the woman answered; "depends on the ribbon; it don't make much difference to you, Mrs. Sandford; it would be—let me see, Oh, I suppose we could do it with velvet for you for fifteen or twenty dollars. You see there must be buttons or rosettes at the joinings of the velvets; and those come very expensive."
"How much would it be to make the dress plain?" I asked.
"That would be plain," the mantua-maker answered quickly. "The style is, to trim everything very much. Oh, that would be quite plain with the velvet."
"But without any trimming at all?" I asked. "How much would that be?" I felt an odd sort of shame at pressing the question: yet I knew I must.
"Without trimming!" said the woman. "Oh, you could not
have it without trimming; there is nothing made without trimming; it would have no appearance at all. People would think you had come out of the country. No young ladies have their dresses made without trimming this winter."
"Mrs. Sandford," said I, "I should like to know what the dress would be without trimming."
"What would it be, Melinda?" The woman was only a forewoman at her establishment.
"Oh, well, Mrs. Sandford, the naked dress I have no doubt could be made for you for five dollars."