Genevieve's opportunity came very soon after she arrived at Elsie's home Monday afternoon. Even Genevieve herself had to admit that she could not have had a better one. But so frightened was she that she wished--for a moment--that there were none. Then before her rose a vision of Elsie's tear-dimmed eyes and quivering lips--and with a quick-drawn breath Genevieve rose and followed Mrs. Gale to the sewing-room. "Come with me," Mrs. Gale had said to Genevieve--Genevieve had picked up a scrap of brown silk from the floor. "That's a piece of the dress I'm making for Elsie to wear to the wedding. The silly child has got a notion she wants white, but you'll think this is pretty, I'm sure." And it was then that Genevieve knew her opportunity had come. In the sewing-room Mrs. Gale proudly spread the silk dress over a chair-back. "There! What do you think of that?" she demanded. Genevieve's heart beat so loudly she thought Mrs. Gale must hear it. "It--it's very pretty, isn't it?" she stammered, wetting her dry lips and wondering what good it did to say that. "Pretty? Of course it is. It's silk, and a fine piece--I thought when I got it how splendidly it would make over. I'm sure any girl ought to be proud to wear it!" Genevieve caught her breath sharply. "Proud"--Mrs. Gale had said "proud"; and Cordelia had said, that morning, that Mrs. Gale herself was very proud, and that she would be very angry if she knew that Genevieve had offered Elsie a dress to wear. In a flash of inspiration, then, came a wild plan to Genevieve's mind. If only she had the audacity to carry it out! She wet her lips again, and took desperate hold of her courage. Even as she did so, she almost smiled--she was thinking: was this another case when she was doing something bad to do something good? Never mind; she must go through with it now. She _must_! "Yes, it is a very pretty dress, indeed," she stammered; "and it was Fannie's, too, wasn't it?" Mrs. Gale beamed. "Yes!--and didn't I get it out finely? You know sleeves are smaller, so that helped, and the breadths were so full last year! I think I never got a dress out better," she finished proudly. Genevieve touched the folds lightly. "And this isn't faded at all, is it?" she murmured pleasantly. "What?" Mrs. Gale's voice was a little sharp. Genevieve wet her lips twice this time before she could speak. "I say, isn't it nice that this one isn't faded? You know Elsie had such a time with that chambray last summer!" "What do you mean, please?" There was no doubt now about the sharpness in Mrs. Gale's voice. Genevieve managed a laugh--but it was not a very mirthful one. "Why, 'twas so funny, you know; it was made from the twins' dresses, and they weren't faded alike. It was just as Elsie said--she didn't know whether to turn Cora or Clara toward folks. It _was_ funny; only, of course it did plague poor Elsie awfully, and I felt so sorry for her."