"Oh!" said Merrylips. "'Tis for a little girl. Is it for me?"
"For thee. A fairing that I brought thee out of France," said Lady Sybil.
Merrylips looked up from the dainty gown and laughed.
"Indeed," she said, "I fear you are bribing me, godmother, not to wear my Tibbott clothes."
"Nay," said her godmother, "don them this day, at whatever hour liketh thee best. Thy mother hath given her free consent."
Merrylips looked at the blue doublet and breeches, and she looked at the gown of russet velvet. She hesitated, for indeed she wished to do as she had planned. But the russet gown was pretty, and she did not like to slight her godmother's gift. Besides she had all day in which to wear her boy's dress.
So she let herself be clad in the velvet gown. There went with it a fine wrought smock, and silken stockings, and dainty shoes of soft brown leather. Last of all Lady Sybil fastened round her neck a slender chain of silver, with a tiny heart-shaped pendant.
"Wear this, dear, in the place of the ring that thou hast worn so long," she said. "And that I will lay by for now, with our Robin's ring—" for so she called Rupert—"until such time as thy finger is big enough to fit it snugly, and then thou shalt have it for thine own."
In the velvet dress, it seemed to Merrylips, when she glanced into the mirror, that she looked taller and older. So she bore herself more shyly and quietly than ever she had done. She would make up for it, she thought, and romp with the noisiest, when she had put on the Tibbott clothes.
But she was glad that she had put on the girl's dress first. For that Christmas morning there was dancing in the long east parlor. And Merrylips danced a minuet with Munn. She was much afraid lest she had forgotten Lady Sybil's teachings and should make false steps and vex him. But she found that she could dance fairly, and Munn was very gallant to her. Then Flip would dance with her too. And Merrylips found it no less pleasant to be treated courteously by her brothers than to go to fisticuffs with them.