[pg 041]"Why," said Fanny, "was there anything wrong in it?"
Here Mrs. Carrington's soft voice chimed in, "Nothing very wrong, dear Fanny, but it is hardly proper for a young school girl to appear in public, attended by a gentleman who is not her brother or cousin."
Poor Fanny! Her heart sank, for she was afraid she would have to give up going after all; but a thought struck her, and she said, "Well, then, it is not proper for Julia to go with Mr. Wilmot, and she has promised to do so."
"That is very different," said Mrs. Carrington; "Julia is engaged to Mr. Wilmot, and unless you are engaged to Dr. Lacey," continued she, sarcastically, "it will not be proper at all for you to go with him."
"But I promised I would," said Fanny.
"That you can easily remedy," answered Mrs. Carrington. "Just write him a note and I will send it to him."
Thus beset, poor Fanny sat down and wrote, as Mrs. Carrington dictated, the following note:
"Dr. Lacey:
"Sir—Upon further reflection I think it proper to decline your polite invitation for tonight.
"Yours very respectfully,