aside, like her correspondence, at night.

Yet on the following Sunday morning she found herself early awake, with
a brain only too ready to begin probing restlessly, and having little
of the calm friendliness she intended it should have towards her guest
of the evening.

To add to her unrest, her mother paid her an early visit, of a sort
that had been growing too frequent of late. It was not enough that
Lorraine paid her rent, and gave her a handsome allowance; when there
chanced to be no one else to pay her debts, these came upon Lorraine's
shoulders also.

T-day it was a long, rambling tale of a hard-hearted dressmaker who,
having had a new frock back for alteration, had taken upon herself to
return the skirt, without the bodice, with an intimation that she was
retaining the delayed portion until her long account was settled.
Hence Mrs. Vivian found herself with what she called a most important
engagement, without the equally important new frock to go in.

Lorraine lay under the bedclothes, with only her head showing, and
watched her a little coldly, as she moved restlessly about the room
airing her woes. She had promised Madame Luce, over and over again, to
settle in a week or two; and who would have believed the odious woman
would serve her such a trick?

Never again, if she had to go naked, would she order a garment from her
of any description whatever. And the friends she had sent to her as
customers! Why, half the woman's trade was owing to her introduction.