Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: m ATJDRIE BRENDON TO HER MOTHER Rue Chapeau de Marie Antoinette July 6th. Early Morning Dearebt Dame Wisdom : You ought to be Adviser-in- Chief to Crowned Heads. You 'd be invaluable; worth any salary. What a shame you are n't widely known: a sort of public possession! But for my sake I 'm glad you are n't, because if you were discovered you 'd never have a spare minute to advise me. Of course, dear, if you had n't reached your conclusions just as you did about this step you would n't have counselled, or even allowed, me to take it. And I will remember every word you say. I 'll do exactly as you tell me to do. So now, don't worry, any more than you would if I were an experienced and accomplished young parachutist about to make a descent from the top of the Eiffel tower. It's eight o'clock, and I 've satisfied my soul with your letter and my body with its morning roll and coffee. When I 've finished scribbling this in pencil to you, I shall pack, and be ready — for anything. By the way, that reminds me. What a tangled web we weave when first we practise to deceive, etc. Won't the Dragon think it queer that his rich ward should make no better toilettes than I shall be able to produce — after living at Versailles, practically in Paris, with a huge amount of spending money — for a schoolgirl ? I thought of that difficulty only last night for the first time, after I was in bed, and was tempted to jump up and review my wardrobe. But it was unnecessary. Not only could I call to mind in the most lively way every dress I have, but, I do believe, every dress I ever did have since my frocks were let down or done over from yours. I suppose that ought to make me feel rather young, ought n't it ? To remember every dress I ever owned ? But it does n't. I 'll be twenty...