‘And, my dear girls, in all honour and honesty, we must make it up to her.’
‘Can’t we save it out of our allowance?’ said Mysie.
‘Sixpence a month from you, a shilling perhaps from Gill, how long would that take? No, my dear girls, I am going to put you to a heavy trial.’
‘Oh, mamma, don’t!’ cried Gillian, seeing what she was driving at. ‘Don’t give up the Butterfly’s Ball.’
‘Oh, don’t!’ implored Mysie, tears starting in her eyes. ‘We never saw a costume ball, and Fly wishes it so.’
‘And I thought you had promised,’ said Gillian.
‘Cousin Rotherwood assumes that I did; but I did not really accept. I told him I could not tell, for you know your Grandmamma Merrifield talked of coming here, and I cannot put her off. And now I see that it must be given up.’
‘It need only be calico!’ sighed Gillian, sticking pins in and out of the pincushion.
‘Fancy dresses even in calico are very expensive. Besides, I could not go to a place like Rotherwood without at least two new dresses, and it is not right to put papa to more expense.’
‘Oh, mamma! couldn’t you? You always do look nicer than any one,’ said Mysie.