“Robert would help me.  He’s as fond of her as I am.  And you know the size of his heart.”

“I should say I do,” replied Fanny eagerly.  “See what he’s done for James and me already.”

“Anything else, Madame?” inquired Josephine, who had finished her duties.

Her mistress shook her head.

“No, Josephine.  You needn’t wait for me.”

“Shall I call Madame in the morning?”

“No.  I’ll ring when I want you.”

“Oui, Madame.”  Turning round at the door, she said apologetically:  “Quant au bain, je verrai a ce que cela ne se repete plus.”

Virginia smiled good naturedly: 

“Very well, Josephine—­that’s all right—­”

“Bonne nuit, Madame!”

The girl went out, closing the door behind her.  Fanny, laughing, mimicked her: 

“‘Anything else, Madame?’ ‘No, Josephine, you needn’t wait for me.’  ‘Shall I call you in the morning, Madame?’ ’No, I’ll ring when I want you.’  Gee!  That’s classy, all right.  It’s just like one reads about in the story books.”

“What is?” asked Virginia, who, still seated at the dressing table, had begun to arrange her hair for the night.

“You and the way you speak French!”

The younger sister laughed heartily.

“Why shouldn’t I?  I’ve studied hard enough in the last year and a half.”

“And your music!”

“That, too.”

“And your German!  And your books on literature and art!”

Taking in the entire room with a sweeping gesture of her hand, she continued: 

“And all this—­and your autos—­and your yacht—­and your box at the opera—­and everything that money can buy—­and just think only two years ago you were an underpaid telephone girl in a hotel!”

“Yes, it is wonderful, isn’t it?” sighed Virginia.

“Wonderful!” exclaimed the other.  “It makes Laura Jean Libbey look like a piker.”

“Fanny!” protested her sister.

“What’s the matter?”

“Slang!” said Virginia reproachfully.

“Oh, I just have to blow off steam once in a while,” replied Fanny carelessly.  “And maybe I’m not in it, too.  Two years ago I was working in our little millinery store.  Enter the rich Mrs. Chuddington.  She’s fifty if she’s a day, weighs a hundred and ninety and has a—­a double chin.  She sees a hat that would suit a girl just out of school and tries it on.  I look at her and say:  ’Oh, Mrs. Chuddington, isn’t that lovely!’ Of course, I know it’s awful, but I have to say it because it’s business.  I point to the customer and Marie says:  ’Oh, Mrs. Chuddington, isn’t that exquisite!’ Then Mrs. Chuddington puts on the hat, leaves the store looking a perfect fright.  Marie looks at Fanny; Fanny looks at Marie, and though we don’t say a word, we think—­oh! how we do think!”

Virginia smiled in spite of herself.

“They try it with me,” she laughed.