“Carriage!” I repeated, with a laugh of scorn. “I wish I had a carriage—yes, and a pair—so that I need not intrude upon the Miss Bennys; three in a fly are too many.”
“Oh, and do take care of your gown, darling; lift it up well, and hold the train in your lap. This is only a dress rehearsal for Christmas Day, and I should be so vexed if you got your frock tumbled or soiled.”
I promised in the most solemn manner to take the greatest care of my toilet, and refused for the tenth time the eagerly pressed loan of her diamond brooch, “just to give the lace a finish.”
“My dear Emma, I am going to this party to please you; I am wearing lace and satin fit for a duchess to please you; but I really must decline the diamonds. As it is, people will be quite sufficiently tickled, when they compare my costume with my position and surroundings; they will say all sorts of nasty things.”
“They will say you are a princess in disguise!”
“Pooh! they will say I am a pauper who has been swindling some London dressmaker! I shall make myself small, and sit in a corner, and try and escape notice,” and I sailed into the sitting-room.
Here I found an immediate opportunity of testing the effect of my transformation. Mrs. Gabb, who (as an excuse to obtain a private view) was making up the fire, dropped the poker with a frightful clang, as she ejaculated—
“Good laws—laws me! Well—I never!” which I accepted as a very handsome tribute to my splendid appearance. In another five minutes the glories of my costume were concealed beneath a long fur-trimmed evening cloak (yet another relic of Emma’s wealthy days), and I found myself shut into a fly, with my back to the horse, and driving away with the two Miss Bennys and Mrs. Montmorency Green, their cousin. I ventured to thank them, rather timidly.
“It is so very kind of you to take me,” I murmured; “and I am quite ashamed of crushing you like this.”
“Well, you must only make yourself as small as you can,” said the elder, with asperity. “We would do anything to oblige dear Mrs. Cholmondeley; and she made quite a point of our taking you with us.”