group. And to Millie's as well as his own satisfaction it was clear that there was no more attractive, or attractively dres- sed woman at the Ball.

It was nearly four in the morning before Colonel Dawson drove up to the door at Braefoot House, saw Millie safely indoors, gave her a fare- well peck on the cheek and then left her to go to bed. A tired Ian climbed slowly upstairs, thinking with pleasure of his evening, and in Millie's bedroom slowly removed jewel- Iry, dress and slip before sitting at the mirror to clean off his make up and to brush his long fair hair. Finally he undressed completely.

For a second he wondered what had gone wrong, for he fully expected to turn back

into Ian and the bedroom to become his own again as he removed the last of Millie's clothes, but here he was, naked

and unbearably beautiful, and still very much Millie' But he was too tired to think. He slid into the ivory silk nightie lying on the ready turned down bed and fell almost instantly asleep.

It was late when he woke- almost ten thirty and he was still confused over the evening's activities. He clearly remembered going to bed as Millie in her lace edged sheets and pillow cases and wearing the pretty silk nightgown which had been left ready on the bed for him. He looked around. He was in his own bedroom wearing his own pajamas and between plain linen sheets. The dressing table held only his brushes and odds and ends and there was no sing of Millie's cosmetics and jewel- lery. Even the waste basket was innocent of the cotton wool he'd used in removing his make- up. The gorgeous underwear and the fabulous dress had vanished and only the suit he'd been wearing before starting to change was visible. He rang for Mar- garet.

"Margaret what on earth happened last night?"

Ian

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"I - I don't know, Mr. I think - I'm afraid- I must have fallen asleep. I- I'm terribly sorry I can't think how it happened I've never done a thing like that be- fore."

"What makes you think you fell asleep?"

"Well, I had such an extra- ordinarily vivid dream. You remember I put you into Miss Millie's dress? Well I dreamed that I was back again at the evening when I really did dress her in those clothes. And it was all so real. After she'd gone to the ball I cleaned up her room and put her night clothes ready. Then I went down to the kitchen for supper and spent the evening with Ellen she was the cook we had then a nd went to bed about midnight. And as far as I can remember that's what I actually did do that night.

"But how extraordinary! You see, I did that too. I mean I spent the whole evening as Aunt Millie went to the Ball - every- thing. And when I got back and wnet to bed I was still her. I went to sleep as her, in her nightie, and yet I woke up a few minutes ago as myself and in my pajamas!"

They looked at each other in confusion.

"Where's my dress anyway?

I mean, Aunt Millie's dress? Whatever else happened last night you did actually dress me in it. Shouldn't it still be here?"

Margaret looked blank, then disappeared from the room. Min- utes later she was back, rather pale.

"The dress and most of the things are back in the proper cupboard in the storeoom. The undies and stocking are down in the laundryroom ready for me to rinse through before I put them away!"

Over the next few days lan struggled to find an explanation he could accept. He was already aware, from his experience with

her picture on his first day in the house, that Great-Aunt Millie had had a very strong personality. Now he felt that, as he explained to Margare:

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"Perhaps when we brought her most personal things her very special clothes back in- to use she was able to impose her personality on us both take me over completely and turn your back to when you were young and so relive the experiences she'd had at the time when she herself wore them. Then, when the particular epi- sode had finished she, sort of, relaxed her hold on us and we reverted to the present day again. But at the same time as all that was happening we were actually just carrying on with our normal lives but compl- etely without knowing it. So I imagine you actually did dress me, make me up and so on. And then, I expect, after a little while I changed back into my own clothes again and you cleared everything away back into the storeroom or else down- stairs ready to rinse out. But we don't remember aren't even aware of-any of that ex- perience for we were both re- living the original 1955 one-you as your own younger self, and I as Aunt Millie.

"perhaps you're right, Mr. Ian. But one thing I can tell you absolutely positively. You never met your Great-Aunt, but I knew her and worked for her for nearly thirty-five years, and a finer woman a finer human being never stepped. There wasn't atom of ill nature in her whole make up. If what you've suggested is true then I'd swear that no possible harm will come from it, for no matter what it might cost her Miss Millie would never do anything which would hurt a soul. In fact-" she added" if I might suggest it would you consider repeating the experience? Not with the clothes of course but with other other outfits from her storeroom? Because Because if you're

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