“You wouldn't want to go looking the way you do, anyhow,” said Aunt Maria, pitilessly.
After Aunt Maria went out of the room, Maria, who was putting some finishing-touches to the gown which she herself was to wear to the Christmas-tree, went over to her sister and knelt down beside her. “Poor darling,” she said. “Don't you want me to stay at home with you?”
Evelyn pushed her away gently, with a fresh outburst of tears. “No,” she said. “Don't come so close, Maria, or you will catch it. Everybody says it is contagious. No, I wouldn't have you stay at home for anything. I am not a pig, if I am disappointed. But Aunt Maria need not be so cross.”
“Aunt Maria does not mean to be cross, sweetheart,” said Maria, stroking her sister's fluffy, dark head. “Are you sure that you do not want me to stay home with you, dear?”
“Perfectly sure,” replied Evelyn. “I want you to go so you can tell me about it.”
Evelyn had not the slightest idea of jealousy of Maria. While she admired her, it really never occurred to her, so naïve she was in her admiration of herself, that anybody could think her more attractive than she was and fall in love with her, to her neglect. She had not the least conception of what this Christmas-tree meant to her older sister: the opportunity of seeing Wollaston Lee, of talking with him, of perhaps some attention on his part. Maria was to return to Amity on the last trolley from Westbridge. It was quite a walk from the academy. She dreamed of Wollaston's escorting her to the trolley-line. She dressed herself with unusual care when the day came. She had a long, trailing gown of a pale-blue cloth and a blue knot for her yellow hair. She also had quite a pretentious blue evening cloak. Christmas afternoon a long box full of pale-yellow roses arrived. There was a card enclosed which Maria caught up quickly and concealed without any one seeing her. Wollaston had sent her the roses. Her heart beat so hard and fast that it seemed the others must hear it. She bent over the roses. “How perfectly lovely!” she said.
Aunt Maria took up the box and lifted the flowers out carefully. “There isn't any card,” she said. “I wonder who sent them?” All at once a surmise seized her that Professor Lane, who was said to be regaining his health in Colorado, had sent an order to the Westbridge florist for these flowers. Simultaneously the thought came to Evelyn, but Eunice, who was in the room, looked bewildered. When Maria carried the roses out to put them in water, she turned to her sister-in-law. “Who on earth do you suppose sent them?” she whispered.
Aunt Maria looked at her, and formed Professor Lane's name noiselessly with her lips, giving her at the same time a knowing nod. Eunice looked at Evelyn, who also nodded, although with a somewhat disturbed expression. She still did not feel quite reconciled to the idea of her sister's loving Professor Lane.
“I didn't know,” said Eunice.
“Nobody knows; but we sort of surmise,” said Aunt Maria.