“Very likely, my dear—very likely, but what of that?”
“Only this, Kitty, that father intends to see the items; he intends to see: ‘One crimson cashmere dress, to Miss Katherine Merrydew; one blue velvet dress with real lace, to Miss Katherine Merrydew,’ &c. And when he sees those items, do you know what will happen?”
Kitty was very pale now, and very silent. She did not speak at all for a minute.
Anne looked at her. “The letter with the items will arrive any day now,” she continued. “What are we to say about Miss Katherine Merrydew?”
“I suppose you are too timid to tell your father that you made poor little Kitty Merrydew a couple of trifling presents?”
“A couple of trifling presents, Kitty! Why, they have cost pounds and pounds. That red dress that you are wearing came to over five pounds, and the blue velvet to more than eight, and the—— Oh I can’t count them all; but I know that the very few dresses we got last term came to hardly anything, for we stinted ourselves in order to clothe you.”
“And didn’t I tell you, Anne—didn’t I tell both you and Grace—that you were to be sure to make Miss Weston put ‘To account rendered.’ That would make it so easy. What was the difficulty? Why didn’t you do it?”
“We did do it, Kitty—we did; but father saw the total, and he immediately desired mother to write to Miss Weston and get the items from her, and mother has written. And oh, oh, oh Kitty! what is to be done?”
Kitty sat very quiet.
“I know quite well what will happen,” pursued Anne. “It will be dreadful for us; but it will be ten times worse for you, poor Kitty, because, for some extraordinary reason, father has taken a great dislike to you. What did you do to turn him against you, Kitty? Why, this time last year he’d have given you those frocks and not said a word, and he’d have given you a lot more, and he’d have invited you to spend all the holidays with us. What have you done to turn him?”