"Did you say anything?" asked Rosamond.
"Yes. I suppose I ought not; but Elinor was in the room, and I spoke before I thought."
"What did you tell her?"
"I only said it was such a pity; that you meant to ask them all. And Elinor said it would be so nice here. If it were anybody else, we might try to arrange something."
But how could we meddle with the Marchbankses? With Olivia and Adelaide, of all the Marchbankses? We could not take it for granted that they meant to ask us. There was no such thing as suggesting a compromise. Rosamond looked high and splendid, and said not another word.
In the afternoon of Wednesday Adelaide and Maud Marchbanks rode by, homeward, on their beautiful little brown, long-tailed Morgans.
"They don't mean to," said Barbara. "If they did, they would have stopped."
"Perhaps they will send a note to-morrow," said Ruth.
"Do you think I am waiting, in hopes?" asked Rosamond, in her clearest, quietest tones.
Pretty soon she came in with her hat on. "I am going over to invite the Hobarts," she said.