“Bless the child, what does she mean?” cried Mrs. Carroll, with a start that twitched her back-hair out of Victorine’s hands.

“Would you like to have a daughter of yours go to a party looking as I look?” continued her niece, spreading her airy dress, and standing very erect before her astonished relative.

“Why, of course I should, and be proud to own such a charming creature,” regarding the slender white shape with much approbation,—­adding, with a smile, as she met the girl’s eye,—­

“Ah, I see the difficulty, now; you are disturbed because there is not a bit of lace over these pretty shoulders of yours.  Now don’t be absurd, Dora; the dress is perfectly proper, or Madame Tiphany never would have sent it home.  It is the fashion, child; and many a girl with such a figure would go twice as decolletee, and think nothing of it, I assure you.”

Debby shook her head with an energy that set the pink heather-bells a-tremble in her hair, and her color deepened beautifully as she said, with reproachful eyes,—­

“Aunt Pen, I think there is a better fashion in every young girl’s heart than any Madame Tiphany can teach.  I am very grateful for all you have done for me, but I cannot go into public in such an undress as this; my mother would never allow it, and father never forgive it.  Please don’t ask me to, for indeed I cannot do it even for you.”

Debby looked so pathetic that both mistress and maid broke into a laugh which, somewhat reassured the young lady, who allowed her determined features to relax into a smile, as she said,—­

“Now, Aunt Pen, you want me to look pretty and be a credit to you; but how would you like to see my face the color of those geraniums all the evening?”

“Why, Dora, you are out of your mind to ask such a thing, when you know it’s the desire of my life to keep your color down and make you look more delicate,” said her aunt, alarmed at the fearful prospect of a peony-faced protegee.

“Well, I should be anything but that, if I wore this gown in its present waistless condition; so here is a remedy which will prevent such a calamity and ease my mind.”

As she spoke, Debby tied on her little blonde fichu with a gesture which left nothing more to be said.

Victorine scolded, and clasped her hands; but Mrs. Carroll, fearing to push her authority too far, made a virtue of necessity, saying, resignedly,—­

“Have your own way, Dora, but in return oblige me by being agreeable to such persons as I may introduce to you; and some day, when I ask a favor, remember how much I hope to do for you, and grant it cheerfully.”

“Indeed I will, Aunt Pen, if it is anything I can do without disobeying mother’s ‘notions’, as you call them.  Ask me to wear an orange-colored gown, or dance with the plainest, poorest man in the room, and I’ll do it; for there never was a kinder aunt than mine in all the world,” cried Debby, eager to atone for her seeming wilfulness, and really grateful for her escape from what seemed to her benighted mind a very imminent peril.