her to do it. Goodness knows it's hard enough to make the lazy thing do
her own work. Just get your duster, and make sure as you come down that
the children are properly dressed for the dancing class." She broke into
a waltz.

Cecilia ran. Sounds of woe greeted her as she neared Avice's room,
and she entered, to find that damsel plunged in despair over a missing
button.

"It was on all right last time I wore the beastly dress," wailed she.
"If you'd look after my clothes like Mater said you had to, I wouldn't
be late. Whatever am I to do? I can't make the old dress shut with a
safety pin."

"No, you certainly can't," said her half-sister. "Never mind; there are
spare buttons for that frock, and I can sew one on." She accomplished
the task with difficulty, since Avice appeared quite unable to stand
still.

"Now, are you ready, Avice? Shoes, hat, gloves--where are your gloves?
How do you ever manage to find anything in that drawer?" She rooted
swiftly in a wild chaos, and finally unearthed the gloves. "Yes, you'll
do. Now, where's Wilfred?" Search revealed Wilfred, who hated dancing,
reading a "penny dreadful" in his room--ready to start, save for the
trifling detail of having neglected to wash an extremely dirty face.
Cecilia managed to make him repair the omission, after a struggle,
and saw them off with a thankful heart--which sank anew as she heard
a neighbouring clock strike three. Three--and already she should be
meeting Bob in Hyde Park. She fled for a duster, and hurried to the
drawing-room. Eliza encountered her on the way.