"Let me speak," suddenly interrupted little Margot. "Your face behold! it is red and must be softened. You shall wear brown. See, I picture it in my eye," continued Margot, speaking as though she had been acting shop-woman all her days. "A brown hat _très doux_ and one long feather to match. Have you such a hat, Madame?" exclaimed little Margot. "It is wonderful the taste of the Comtesse," cried Madame. "She sees at once what will suit you, _chère Madame_." "The Comtesse! That little girl a Comtesse!" cried the astonished red-faced American lady. "Ah, _oui_, Madame. She is the young Comtesse St. Juste and her taste it is of the most exquisite. Paris itself cannot touch her." "Why does she come here?" asked the American. "But get me the brown hat with the brown feather. She looks like a child who has pretty taste." Little Margot stood very silent. She was not going to laugh. Having given her idea she stuck to it. Her grave and lovely eyes were fixed on the American's face. The brown hat was produced in a twinkling. It was tried on. It was pronounced perfect. "I will have a fan to match," said the American. "_Ah, oui, c'est bon_," said little Margot. "I will myself choose it for you, Madame." She chose a fan made of brown feathers with a long tortoise-shell handle. "Here, behold!" said little Margot. Immediately the other American ladies buzzed round the brown hat and round the brown fan, and little Margot found herself acting as shopwoman and enjoying herself immensely. "And now the price, Mademoiselle la Comtesse," said the red-faced American, when all the ladies had been provided with hats and fans. "I know not," said Margot. "Madame, you will tell the price. For me, I am _fatiguée_." She marched away, hearing however behind her a perfect buzz of remonstrance. The prices were monstrous--they were absurd. They were beyond even thinking about. Madame stood calmly by, holding a pile of hats with brown feathers in her hand. "It is the will of _la petite_ Comtesse," she remarked, and then again she stood silent. By-and-bye the hustle grew so great, the noise so animated, that Margot wondered how the whole thing would end and when these horrid, disagreeable women would leave the shop. But after storm there came peace. The brown hats and the brown fans hastily arranged themselves, the money was paid, one hundred and fifty francs for each chapeau, and one hundred and thirty francs for each fan. Madame danced up to Margot and kissed her several times. "We have made--we have made--oh, so much for your _dot_, little one," she said. "You are the very best saleswoman I ever knew. What will our sweet Madame la Comtesse say when we tell her! Six chapeaux at 150 francs apiece, six fans at 130 francs apiece! Ah, but it is marvellous! You have the natural gift, little one. Come with me now, into the apartment, where we sell the robes of all sorts and colours. You will make the fortune of this place, little Comtesse."