A considerable time elapsed before this kind intention became an accomplished fact; but in due course the dress was ready to wear, and Norah looked very nice when wearing it.  As to color, it was of so lively a blue that it would permit no shadows even in its deepest folds; it was just a close-fitting brightness that made the girl seem to have shot up in a night to a form of much greater height and increased slenderness.  Her hat was made of yellow straw, with a wreath of artificial daisies round the crown.  When the tempered sunshine fell upon her as she stood up to sing, she looked like something composed of vivid color, light, and life—­like a flower glowing in a garden, a kingfisher hovering over a stream, a rainbow trembling on the crest of a hill.  Dale, watching her, thought that in comparison the other maidens on the platform were positively plain.

He told Mavis afterward that he felt certain the dress had been admired, adding that Norah’s general appearance did her the utmost credit.  And that Sunday they both talked seriously about Norah’s future.

“You know,” said Dale, “I feel it as a responsibility on us.”

“So do I,” said Mavis.

“Having taken it up, we must go through with it to the end.  I mean, we must always stand her friends—­and more than that, her guardians.”

“Of course.”

“In a sense,” he went on, didactically, “we may have made a mistake in bringing her forward to the extent we’ve done.”

“How so, Will?”

“I mean, if one wished to argue selfish—­which of course I don’t wish—­well, the selfish view would be not to have drawn her out but rather keep her down a bit.”

“Oh, she’d be miserable if she didn’t feel to be one of ourselves—­and you always said let’s treat her that way.”

“I know; and I don’t go back on it.  I was only stating the case of selfish policy, for the sake of argument.  It’s like this.  The more useful you teach her to be, the more we’re going to miss her when she leaves us.”

“She’ll never leave us.”

“Won’t she be thinking of taking service in some gentleman’s family when you’ve perfected her, and rendered her really capable of filling a situation?”

“Oh, no, she’d never want to go away from Vine-Pits.”

“Is that so?  Well, of course I regard that as another feather in her cap.  I’m glad to think she’s properly devoted to you.”

“It isn’t me,” said Mavis.  “It’s you she’s devoted to.  It’s been the same all along.  I told you from the first that child just worshiped you.  It’s Mr. Dale.  Mr. Dale is the cry with Norah always.  She looks on me as very small potatoes,” and Mavis laughed.  “I don’t mind.  It’s how I look on myself.”

Dale patted his wife’s hand, and smiled.  “Rubbish!  But look here, Mav;” and he spoke very thoughtfully.

“I don’t wish ever to trade on Norah’s gratitude.  It may be, when the time comes, we shall have to decide for her.  It may be that she’ll do better for herself in the long run by going than by staying.  If so, we mustn’t be the barrier in her way.  We must push her out into the world, even if she can’t see the point of it.  But all that lies far ahead.  We needn’t worry about it yet a while....  How old is Norah now?”