miss cornelia herself , intensely vain , had shown a keen interest in tess 's discreet suggestions for improving the cut or fit of one or two of her gowns , and by week 's end had gone so far as to assert to her mother that tess was the best lady 's maid in newport and that it was too , too bad that plain gertrude vanderbilt was not lucky enough to have tess 's good services for her coming-out party the following week .