"They come to me always, the peecture people; to me. the magician,
the deputee of the god of beautee. Polly Pretty, she comes, and
Dolly Dimple, she comes, and Lucy Love, she comes, and Betty Belle
Bird. They come to me for the hair, and for the eyes, and for the
complexion. You are a workair of miracles yourself--but can you do
what I do? Can you make the skeen all new? Can you make the old
young?"

"O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-oh!"

"Mary Magna, she comes to me, and she breengs me her old
grandmother, and she says, 'Madame,' she says, 'make her new from
the waist up, for you can nevair tell how the fashions weel change,
and what she weel need to show.' Ha, ha, ha, she ees wittee, ees the
lovely Mary! And I take the old lady, and her wrinkles weel be gone,
and her skeen weel be soft like a leetle baby's, and in her cheeks
weel be two lovely dimples, and she weel dance with the young boys,
and they weel not know her from her grandchild--ha, ha, ha!--ees eet
not the wondair?"

I knew by now where I was. I had heard many times of Madame
Planchet's beauty-parlors. I sat, wondering; should I take Carpenter
by the arm, and lead him gently out? Or should I leave him to fight
his own. fight with modern civilization?

"O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-oh!"

Madame turned suddenly upon me. "I know you, Meester Billee," she
said. "I have seen you with Mees Magna! Ah, naughtee boy! You have
the soft, fine hair--you should let it grow--eight inches we have to