"No," she said quickly, "it was the blue one with silver
trimming,--don't you remember? I tried to turn it the first year I was
married, but it never looked the same."

"It was sweetly pretty," said Jack encouragingly, "and with that blue
hat lined with silver, it was just fetching! Somehow I don't quite
remember this one," and he looked at it critically.

"I had it at the races in '58, and that supper Judge Boompointer gave us
at 'Frisco where Colonel Fish upset the table trying to get at Jim. Do
you know," she said, with a little laugh, "it's got the stains of the
champagne on it yet; it never would come off. See!" and she held the
candle with great animation to the breadth of silk before her.

"And there's more of it on the sleeve," said Jack; "isn't there?"

Mrs. Rylands looked reproachfully at Jack.

"That isn't champagne; don't you know what it is?"

"No!"

"It's blood," she said gravely; "when that Mexican cut poor Ned so
bad,--don't you remember? I held his head upon my arm while you bandaged
him." She heaved a little sigh, and then added, with a faint laugh,
"That's the worst thing about the clothes of a girl in the profession,
they get spoiled or stained before they wear out."

This large truth did not seem to impress Mr. Hamlin. "Why did you leave