“I certainly couldn’t. I never have a penny to bless myself with. I don’t know how I scrape along.” Rosalind sighed. Her pretty face looked absolutely careworn.
“Don’t fret, Rose,” said Miss Day, after a pause; “whether you have paid for the coral or not, you can wear it at the Elliot-Smiths’.”
“No, alas! that’s just what I can’t do. The fact is Polly is turning out awfully mean. She has come back this time with apparently an unlimited supply of pocket-money, and she has been doing her best to induce me to sell her the coral back again.”
“Well, why don’t you? I’m sure I would, rather than be worried about it.”
Miss Merton’s face flushed angrily.
“Nothing will induce me to give up the coral,” she said. “I bought my new white dress to wear with it. I have looked forward all during the holidays to showing it to Meta Elliot-Smith. It’s the sort of thing to subdue Meta, and I want to subdue her; no, nothing will induce me to part with my lovely coral now.”
“Well, my dear, keep it, of course, and pay for it how you can. It’s your own affair. You have not yet explained to me, however, why, when it is in your possession, you can’t wear it with your new dress at the Elliot-Smiths’ next week?”
“Because that wretched Polly has been invited also; and she is quite mean enough and underbred enough to walk up to me before everyone and ask me to give her back her property.”
“What fun if she did?” laughed Miss Day.
“Annie, you are unkind!”