Rita waved her umbrella wildly. The driver of the omnibus stopped. We mounted on to the roof, and sat huddled close together discussing my brilliant prospects. "We'd best keep one on each side of you, for a lot of money like that in a girl's pocket makes it dangerous for her to walk about at Christmas-time," said Agnes. "I don't mind," I said. "You can keep one on each side of me. I think," I continued after a pause, "that it would be only right to spend some of my money on Christmas presents." "Of course, dear; it would be only generous. And you ought to get something for your step-mother." "Yes, of course I ought; and for the boys, and for father. It will be difficult to think of anything for father. And then there is Hannah. Yes, I will spend some of it on Christmas-boxes." We got down from the roof of the omnibus at Oxford Circus, and then we walked slowly down Regent Street and revelled in our view of the shop windows. I was not specially devoted to dress, but the dainty and ravishing garments which I beheld exhibited in the windows were certainly enough to excite the wonder and admiration of us all. At last we decided to venture into a large shop to ask the price of a pretty costume which took my fancy. I liked it because it was as different from the dark-blue with the grey fur as dress could be. It was a soft, glowing shade of crimson, and was smartly trimmed with velvet of the same colour. We all marched into the shop, and I demanded the price of the little costume in the window. "It will just fit you, Dumps," said Rita. The man who served us said he would inquire, and presently he informed us that the dress was selling off and we could have it for ten guineas. Both Rita and Agnes raised their blows in amazement. I coloured deeply, and said that ten guineas was more than I wanted to pay. He said that he had cheaper costumes in the shop, but I would not listen. We went out of the shop, and we three girls once again found ourselves on the pavement. "I call it a perfect swindle," said Rita. "Of course, I know that my cousin Laura Ives gives more than that for a dress, but then she is grown-up. After all, ten pounds doesn't seem much for a dress allowance. But let us go into another shop." But, try as we would, I could get nothing that I could really wear under about five guineas, and as I did not choose to give more than half my allowance for a single dress, I resolved to do without one. "I'll tell my step-mother that father must be informed that ten pounds a quarter is not nearly enough to spend on clothes," I said. "Of course I had no real ideas on the subject before." "Of course it isn't half enough," said Rita. "You can just spend the money on odds and ends. That's what I'd do."