Nell looked at Meg as much as to say, “Why can’t we?” but Meg was somewhat annoyed at the persistency.
“I am very sorry, but Nellie still studies in the morning,” she said, just a little stiffly; “she is not old enough to be emancipated yet.”
“Well, I think it’s very mean of you, you know,” was Miss Browne’s answer; but she had not taken offence, for Meg’s tone had been pleasant. “Still, if ever you can find time, we shall be delighted to see you; we are always at home on Tuesdays and Fridays, evenings as well as afternoons; or if you just sent me a little note to say you were coming I would stay in.”
Again Meg thanked her politely, if not warmly, and managed not to commit herself to a promise. She moved away, however, from the danger of it as soon as she could, and helped Mrs. Macintosh to decorate the chancel with kosmea and asparagus grass.
But the Misses Browne kept the not unwilling Nellie close to them, chattering to her, flattering her [170] ]adroitly, altogether treating her as if she were quite grown up, instead of not yet sixteen.
She was much easier to get on with than Meg, although she was a little shy. They found out from her, by dint of much questioning, that the young man with earnest eyes was Dr. Alan Courtney, and that—“yes, he was engaged to Meg.” They learnt that Pip was in his second year, and went out a great deal; also that he played tennis splendidly, and had won the singles tournament at the University, but that he liked football much better. That the thin boy with brown, rough hair was John, and the little bright-faced girl who wore big hats and always sat next to him was Winifred. How Poppet would have smiled to hear her baptismal name! That Pete—Rupert and Essie were the “second family,” and that the tall, beautiful girl they at first had thought was the eldest Miss Woolcot was the step-mother. Meg intimated to Nellie it was glove-putting-on time, and tried to draw her away, but Mrs. Courtney came up at the moment and engaged her attention.
“I wish you could have come to tennis,” the eldest Miss Browne said, “or to our evenings; we have such awfully jolly ones.”
Nellie admitted, half hesitatingly, that she should like to “very much indeed.”
[171]
]“It’s a shame for a pretty girl like you to stay at home,” Miss Isabel said. “It isn’t fair to the poor men, my dear.”
Nellie blushed exquisitely, and both the Misses Browne thought she was the sweetest-looking girl they had ever seen.