skeen them, and make them the dimples and the sweet smiles. They
suffer so, the poor dears, and eef you would seet and hold their
hands, they would love eet, they would come every day for eet, and
you would be famous, and you would be reech. You would meet--oh,
such lovely ladies! The best people in the ceety come to my beauty
parlors, and they would adore you, Meester Carpentair--what do you
say to eet?"

It struck me as curious, as I looked back upon it; Madame Planchet
so far had not heard the sound of Carpenter's voice. Now she forced
him to speak, but she did not force him to look at her. His gaze
went over her head, as if he were seeing a vision; he recited:

"Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched
forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and
making a tinkling with their feet; therefore the Lord will smite
with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the
Lord will discover their secret parts."

"Oh, mon Dieu!" cried Madame Planchet.

"In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their twinkling
ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires
like the moon, the chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers, the
bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the
tablets, and the earrings, the rings and nose jewels, the changeable
suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping
pins, the glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the veils.
And it shall come to pass that instead of sweet smell there shall be
stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair,