With trembling fingers, Alice slipped on the dress. It was of pale blue gossamer silk worn over a white satin slip. It had a short train at the back and opened up in the front where it was tied with small bows of white satin ribbon. It had long sleeves of pale blue gossamer net, caught down on the outside of the arm with small pearl brooches. The tops of the sleeves and the bosom of the dress were bound with silver edging and trimmed with Valenciennes lace.

The bottom of the skirt and train were edged with silver and trimmed with the same lace as on the bosom. There was a scarf of pale buff silk ornamented at the end with white silk tassels to go with it. There were also pearl earrings, shoes in pale buff satin and yellow kid gloves.

How Alice longed for a looking glass. She felt very grand and splendid, but she had thought that before and her ghost had not seemed in the slightest impressed.

All at once he was at her side and the pair surveyed each other curiously. Privately Alice thought he had never looked more handsome with his short locks cut in a Brutus crop and his splendid black evening coat and knee breeches. Diamond buckles blazed on his shoes and the lace at his throat and wrists was as fine as cobwebs.

He carried a heavy iron box under one arm which he placed on the table and then stood farther away from her to get a better look at her.

Her once thin face had become heart shaped and her eyes, he noticed were almost violet. The dusky clusters of ringlets accentuated her very white skin which had an almost alabaster pallor from Alice having been confined so long in the room. Her bosom was quite magnificent, decided the Duke, putting up his quizzing glass to have a closer look. Alice flushed under his scrutiny and drew the scarf a little more closely about her shoulders.

“You surprise me,” was all he would say, but the warmth in his voice made Alice suddenly feel deliriously happy.

He turned from her and opened the strong box and Alice moved closer to him to see what the box contained.

Poor Agnes’s jewels blazed up with all the colors of Aladdin’s cave.

“Just where she had left them,” said the Duke, looking down at them with satisfaction. “Under the outer courtyard wall at the northeast corner. There is thine dowry, child. It pleases thee?”

“It frightens me,” whispered Alice.

“Then it is time you became accustomed to your possessions; I trust we will not have to sell them all.”

He looked at her, his blond head tilted to one side. Then he scrabbled in the box and came up with a pearl and diamond necklace which he clasped about her neck.