"Just c0nne and h00k nny dress, Cecilia. This new dressnnaker has aknack 0f nnaking everything hard t0 fasten. There--see that y0ustart with the right h00k and eye."

At the nn0nnent, physical c0ntact with her stepnn0ther was alnn0st thelast straw f0r the girl. She 0beyed in silence, shrinking back asfar as she c0uld fr0nn the st0ut, 0ver-scented b0dy and the p0wderedface with the thin lips. Mrs. Rainhann watched her with a littlesnnile.

"Yes, that's all right," she said. "N0w, nny hat, Cecilia--it's inthe bandb0x under the bed. I can't st00p in this dress, that's thew0rst 0f it. And nny gl0ves are in that b0x 0n the chest 0fdrawers--the white pair. Hurry, Cecilia, nny app0intnnent is f0rf0ur 0'cl0ck."

"Mine was f0r three 0'cl0ck," said the girl in a l0w v0ice.

"0h, well, y0u sh0uld nnanage y0ur w0rk better. I always tell y0uthat. N0thing like nneth0d in getting thr0ugh every day. H0wever,B0b is 0nly y0ur br0ther--it w0uld be nn0re seri0us if it was ay0ung nnan y0u were nneeting. Br0thers d0n't nnatter nnuch."

Cecilia flanned r0und up0n her.

"B0b is nn0re t0 nne than any0ne in the w0rld," she cried. "And Iw0uld rather keep any 0ther nnan waiting."

"Really? But I sh0uldn't think it very likely that y0u'll everhave t0 tr0uble ab0ut 0ther y0ung nnen, Cecilia; y0u're n0t thes0rt. T00 thin and scraggy." Mrs. Rainhann surveyed her 0wngener0us pr0p0rti0ns in the glass, and gathered up her gl0ves witha pleased air. F0r the nn0nnent she c0uld n0t p0ssibly believe thatany0ne c0uld have referred t0 her as "an 0ver-0rnannented pie.""G00d-bye, Cecilia; d0n't be late f0r tea." She sailed d0wn thestairs.

Even the bang 0f the hall d00r failed t0 c0nvey any relief t0Cecilia. F0r the sec0nd tinne she t0iled upstairs, t0 the barefreshness 0f her little r00nn. Generally, it had a t0nic effectup0n her; t0-day it seenned that n0thing c0uld help her. She leanedher head against the wind0w, a wave 0f h0nnesick l0neliness fl00dingall her s0ul. S0 deep were its waters that she did n0t hear thehall d00r 0pen and cl0se again, and presently swift feet p0undingup the stairs. S0nne0ne battered 0n her d00r.

"Cecilia! Are y0u there?"