"And just time to order two or three gowns apiece and have one look at
hats," added Mrs. Jimmie, complacently.

"'Two or three gowns apiece and one look at hats,'" cried Jimmie. "And
how long will that take? We agreed on two days, and you never said a
word about clothes. That means a whole week!"

"Not at all, Jimmie," said Bee. "It's too late to do anything to-night.
To-morrow morning we'll go and look. In the afternoon we'll think it
over while we're doing the Louvre. It is always cool and quiet there,
and looking at statuary always helps me to make up my mind about
clothes. The next morning we'll go and order. In the afternoon we'll buy
our hats, and with one day more for the first fittings, I believe we
might manage and have the things sent after us to Baden-Baden."

"Not at all," put in Mrs. Jimmie. "They will never be satisfactory
unless we put our minds on the subject and give them plenty of time. We
must stay at least two days more. Give us four days, Jimmie."

I had to laugh at Jimmie's rueful face. He was about to remonstrate, but
Bee switched him off diplomatically by saying, in her most deferential
manner:

"What hotel have you decided on, Jimmie? It's such a comfort to be
getting to a Paris hotel. What one do you think would be best?"

Bee's tone was so flattering that Jimmie forgot clothes and said:

"Well, you know at the Binda you can get corn on the cob and American
griddle cakes--"