“She’d like the white muslin, of course,” said Mrs. Gregg. “No girl would choose——”
“I’d like the both of them,” said Mary Ellen.
“You shall have them,” said Dr. O’Grady. “That’s the best way I see out of the difficulty. Mrs. Gregg, you get the dress you want for her, privately, without saying a word about it. Agree with everything Mrs. Ford says, and let her order a red flannel petticoat if she likes.”
“But which will she wear?” said Mrs. Gregg, “for if she’s to be dressed in a ridiculous stuffy grey tweed——”
“She’ll wear your one, of course,” said Dr. O’Grady. “She’ll put it on and stand in the middle of the square just underneath the statue. There’ll be a large crowd of people, and it will be too late for Mrs. Ford to do anything. She can’t change the girl’s clothes in the street.”
“Don’t count on any delicacy of feeling in Mrs. Ford,” said the Major.
“And will I have the both of the dresses after?” said Mary Ellen.
“You will,” said Dr. O’Grady, “unless Mrs. Ford manages to drag the grey tweed one away from you.”
“She’ll be furious,” said Mrs. Gregg.
“She may be as furious as she likes then,” said Dr. O’Grady. “She won’t be able to show it while the Lord-Lieutenant’s wife is shaking hands with her out of the motor-car, and it won’t matter to us what she does afterwards. The only thing we have to be careful about is to keep her in a good temper——”