Nor had
they been at work many minutes, when Letty bethought her of
calling in the help of the said dressmaker; so that presently
there were three of them busy as bees--one with genius, one with
experience, and all with facility. The notions of the first were
quickly taken up by the other two, and, the design of the dress
being simplicity itself, Mary got all done she wanted in shorter
time than she had thought possible. The landlady sent for a cab,
and Mary was home with the improbability in more than time for
Mrs. Redmain's toilet. It was with some triumph, tempered with
some trepidation, that she carried it to her room.
There Folter was in the act of persuading her mistress of the
necessity of beginning to dress: Miss Marston, she said, knew
nothing of what she had undertaken; and, even if she arrived in
time, it would be with something too ridiculous for any lady to
appear in--when Mary entered, and was received with a cry of
delight from Hesper; in proportion to whose increasing disgust
for the pink robe, was her pleasure when she caught sight of
Mary's colors, as she undid the parcel: when she lifted the dress
on her arm for a first effect, she was enraptured with it--aerial
in texture, of the hue of a smoky rose, deep, and cloudy with
overlying folds, yet diaphanous, a darkness dilute with red.
Silent as a torture-maiden, and as grim, Folter approached to try
the filmy thing, scornfully confident that the first sight of it
on would prove it unwearable.
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