They were undone!
"But we are wearing it!" screeched Annora; Melissa panted.
"Mesdames, I admire your ingenuity, but such an amount of new lace cannot be passed, even on your bonnets. Two, three, five mètres," he went on, measuring the unlucky lace with his eye, "fichu, flounce, and so forth; so many francs, or I confiscate it."
"En voiture, s'il vous plaît!" was heard.
The sum demanded by the officer, added to what they had paid in purchase, would have made the lace the dearest that ever was bought. They tore off their bonnets, pulled out innumerable pins, set free the fichus, flounces, etc., put them into the officer's hands, and ran to their seats. Out of breath and out of pocket, they were most unhappy. Successful cheating is one thing; but unsuccessful cheating is another, and causes sharp pangs of conscience.
"Too bad!" cried Melissa, as the train moved on; "we were entitled to what we wore."
"'WE ARE WEARING IT!' SCREECHED ANNORA."
"It was that German," said Annora. "He understood English; he heard what we said; he told the official. Oh, a man may grin, and grin, and be a villain!"