She kept all Lillie's dresses and laces and wardrobe, and had something ready for her to put on when she changed her toilet every day.

If this very fine lady wore her mistress's skirts and sashes, and laces and jewelry, on the sly, to evening parties among the upper servant circles of Springdale, who was to know it?
Mrs.John Seymour knew nothing about where her things were, nor what was their condition, and never wanted to trouble herself to inquire.
It may therefore be inferred that when John began to settle up accounts, and look into financial matters, they seemed to him not to be going exactly in the most promising way.
He thought he would give Lillie a little practical insight into his business,--show her exactly what his income was, and make some estimates of his expenses, just that she might have some little idea how things were going.
So John, with great care, prepared a nice little account-book, prefaced by a table of figures, showing the income of the Spindlewood property, and the income of his law business, and his income from other sources.

Against this, he placed the necessary out-goes of his business, and showed what balance might be left.

Then he showed what had hitherto been spent for various benevolent purposes connected with the schools and his establishments at Spindlewood.

He showed what had been the bills for the refitting of the house, and what were now the running current expenses of the family.
He hoped that he had made all these so plain and simple, that Lillie might easily be made to understand them, and that thus some clear financial boundaries might appear in her mind.