Well, never mind. Now,
Cecile, listen to me. Do you see this bag? It is big, and heavy, it
is full of your money; twenty-five francs for every sovereign--two
hundred and seventy-five francs in all. You could not carry that
heavy bag about with you; it would be discovered, and you would be
robbed at once.
"But I have hit on a plan. See! I have brought in another parcel
--this parcel contains cotton wool. I perceive that little frock you
have on has three tucks in it. I am going to unpick those tucks, and
line them softly with cotton wool, and lay the francs in the cotton
wool. I will do it cleverly, and no one will guess that any money
could be hidden in that common little winsey frock. Now, child, you
slip it off, and I will put the money in, and I will give you a
needle and thread and a nice little sharp scissors, and every night
when folks are quite sound asleep, and you are sure no one is
looking, you must unpick enough of one of the tucks to take out one
franc, or two francs, according as you want them; only be sure you
sew the tuck up again. The money will make the frock a trifle heavy,
and you must never take it off your back whatever happens until you
get to the English girl; but I can hit on no better plan,"
"I think it is a lovely, lovely plan," said Cecile, and then she
slipped off the little frock, and Miss Smith wrapped her carefully in
an old shawl of her own; and the next two hours were spent in
skillfully lining the tucks with their precious contents.
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