“Do you think you could dress my hair, massage my face and—oh—sort of
fix me up in general?” Marjorie blushed. “I’ve taken a notion
to—to——”
“I understand, Madame,” Marie beamed. “And oh, I am so glad—you are ze
very pretty woman, and when Marie feenish you—oh—la—la— You will be
lovely!”
“Thank you, Marie, but I haven’t a thing except a little powder—I want
to be dressed when Mr. Benton comes home for dinner—just to—just
to—surprise him. My dresses are all so—well, so——”
“Nevair mind—you leave everything to me. Go to your room—I bring all
ze things you need—and your dress—well—a needle, ze thread, a
scissair—and zere you are, Madame!”
“All right, I shall remember you for this, Marie,” and Marjorie returned
to her room, her heart beating like a trip hammer.
“Here we are,” Marie announced, entering a few minutes later, carrying a
small box filled with an array of bottles and jars which she plumped
down rattling on Marjorie’s dresser. Then, with her small head cocked
birdlike on one side, she surveyed her prospect.
“First of all, Madame,” she declared with authority, “you must have ze
nice warm bath.”
“Everything is in your hands, Marie.” And Marjorie, smiling so brightly
that it transformed her expression, started for the bathroom.
“No, no, Madame,” Marie gently forced her back to the chaise longue. “I
do everything—draw ze watair—put in ze perfume—just like I do for
Mees Elinor. You rest here, and be comfortable—so.” She proceeded to
remove Marjorie’s gown and shoes, and arrange the cushions at her head.
Marjorie closed her eyes and nestled down contentedly. She really
believed she was enjoying this new experiment of being waited upon. Only
yesterday she had been quite disgusted with Elinor, when upon entering
her room, she had discovered her stretched lazily in an easy chair, with
Marie on her knees lacing her boots. Surely, she had thought, a healthy
young girl like Elinor should be able to do such things for herself. It
was all right to have a maid, if you desired one to dress your hair, or
fasten an intricately arranged frock, but to lace your boots—that was a
different matter. And here she was, the following day, permitting Marie
to fill her bath and actually remove her shoes.
Marjorie, emerging from her bath, tingling and greatly refreshed, placed
herself completely in the maid’s willing hands. After a delightful
massage, the array of jars and bottles came into play. Then a tiny
tweezer came into view. At the first pluck of an eyebrow, Marjorie
almost jumped out of her chair: “Oh—that hurts! What are you doing?”
she demanded.
“I pull out ze ugly thick eyebrow and shape heem magnifique,” she
replied calmly, as she yanked out another.
“No, no,” Marjorie remonstrated. “I can’t allow it—it is
too—well—silly.”
“Seely?—Why you say seely?—Eet is stylish, and what all ze well
groomed women she have. You say you leave everysing to Marie. Why not
now you do as you say—_pourquoi_?”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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