all madhouse things. The corset had hooks instead of laces, and was too big for me.—''Never mind,'' they said, laughing. They had chests like boats. ''Plenty of room for growing in.'' The gown was meant to be a tartan, but the colours had run. The stockings were short, like a boy''s. The shoes were of india-rubber.
''Here you are, Cinderella,'' said the dark nurse, putting them on me. And then, looking me over: ''Well! You shall bounce like a ball all right, in those!''
They laughed again then, for quite a minute. Then they did this. They sat me in the chair and combed my hair and made it into plaits; and they took out a needle and cotton, and sewed the plaits to my head.
''It''s this, or cut it,'' the dark nurse said when I struggled; ''and no skin off my nose either way.''
''Let me see to it,'' said Nurse Spiller. She finished it off—two or three times, as if by accident, putting the point of the needle to my scalp. That is another place that don''t show cuts and bruises.
And so, between the two of them, they got me ready; and then they took me to the room that was to be mine.
''Mind, now, you remember your manners,'' they said as we walked. ''Start going off your head again, we shall have you back in the pads, or plunge you.''◥本◥作◥品◥由◥思◥兔◥網◥提◥供◥線◥上◥閱◥讀◥
''This ain''t fair!'' I said. ''This ain''t fair, at all!''