Thus pressed, Mrs. Stubbs gave in, and stopped the carriage at a confectioner's in Regent Street.
"I'll have Vanilla," said May. "Which are you going to have, Sarah?"
"Whichever you like," said Sarah, who had never tasted an ice in her life, and was thus gaining another new experience.
"Try strawberry, then," said May, "and then we can help one another to a spoonful."
Sarah did try strawberry, and very good she found it. And then, when they had each eaten about half of their ices, May proposed that they should change about. Sarah did not find the Vanilla ice nearly so much to her liking as the strawberry one had been; but not liking to say so, as her cousin seemed to appreciate the change, she finished her portion, and said she had enjoyed herself very much.
"You'll buy us some sweets, Ma?" said May.
Sarah stared aghast; it seemed to her a terrible extravagance to have had the ices, particularly after having spent so much money as her aunt must have done for the clothes that morning. And then to ask for sweets! It seemed to her that May had no conscience.
And perhaps she was not very far wrong. But May, if she had no conscience, had a wonderful knack of smoothing the path of daily life for herself. Mrs. Stubbs demurred decidedly to buying sweets; but May gave a good reason for her demand.
"Oh, Ma, dear, do! Flossie 'll be as cross as two sticks at Sarah being out with you instead of her. And she's sure to ask if we had ices, and, you know we can't either of us tell a story about it--at least, I can't, and I don't think Sarah's at all the story-telling sort--are you, Sarah?"
"Oh no, indeed, Auntie, I'll never tell you a story," Sarah protested.