After about twenty minutes (it seemed three hours and a half)--he came in with a coat over his arm! _Agatha's coat_! I nearly swooned! ... "Now you don't say so--really! Your sister's? And I made so sure it was yours! Isn't that curious, now? I may say I have been in the tailoring trade, man and boy, for a matter of twenty years, an' I never knew such a thing to occur before! Of course it wouldn't be any use saying I could make another by Wednesday, for I should only disappoint, but if Miss Hagatha was to run over, such a thing as this hafternoon, she could have 'er's 'ome in the place of yours." ... I got home _somehow_, I don't know how, for my mind was a blank, fell into bed, and lay prostrate until the next day, when hope revived once more. If the worst came to the worst, I was sure of a new voile dress which Miss Green was making, and the old coat and skirt would do very well for the mornings. The voile dress promised to be charming, for she really makes very well when she likes; so I felt restored to equanimity, until at eleven o'clock, behold a small girl, to see Miss C Rendell--"Oh, if-- you--please--Miss Green--says--as--she's--two--yards--short--of--the-- material--and--could--you--make--it--convenient--to--get--it--to-day?" My brain reeled! As soon as I had sufficiently recovered, I rushed round to see her myself. "You _told_ me you only needed twelve yards, and I got thirteen!" "Yes, madam, but you see, madam, these guagings run into a deal of material. You wouldn't like them not to be full and 'andsome. Just another two yards!" There was nothing else for it, so I promised to go up to town next morning (I couldn't possibly go that day), and impressed upon the wretch to finish the bodice _first_,--as, if necessary, we could do with less trimming on the skirt. My dear, the worst is still to come! The shop was _sold out_ of the shade of voile, and could not get it again, and when I went back to Miss Green, she had finished the _skirt_, and had nothing left for sleeves! "Yes, I remember you _did_ say do the bodice first, but I thought I'd be getting on with the guaging. Guaging runs into a deal of time!" ... I just lay back, and said to myself, "Can it be real--or is it only a terrible nightmare?" We sat turning over hundreds of dirty old fashion plates, to find out how to make sleeves out of nothing, and they are sights, and I look an owl in them. There's only one comfort--if my brain has stood such a strain, it will stand anything!