“Admire me! Admire me! I’m dying to be admired! Don’t I look fine, and smart, and unsuitable! Will any one in the world mistake me for a High School-mistress!”
Cecil rose from the sofa, and made a solemn tour of inspection. Obviously she was impressed, obviously she admired, obviously also she found something startling in her inspection. There was pure feminine interest in the manner in which she fingered each delicate fabric in turn, there was pure feminine kindness in the little pat on the arm which announced the close of the inspection.
“My dear, it’s ripping! Rich and rare isn’t in it. You look a dream. Poor kiddie! If this is the sort of thing you’ve been used to, it’s been harder for you than I thought! Yes, horribly unsuitable, and when it’s worn-out, you’ll never be able to have another like it. White pongé will be your next effort.”
“Bless your heart, I’ve three others just as fine, and these skimpy skirts last for an age. No chance of any one planting a great foot on the folds and tearing them to ribbons as in the old days. There are no folds to tread on.”
But Cecil as usual was ready with her croak.
“Next year,” she said darkly, “there will be flounces. Before you have a chance of wearing your four dresses, everybody will be fussy and frilly, and they’ll be hopelessly out of date.”
“Then I’ll cut up two and turn them into flounces to fuss out the others!” cried Claire, the optimist, and gave another caper from sheer lightness of heart. “How do you like my feet?”
“I suppose you mean shoes. A pretty price you paid for those. I’m sure they’re too tight!”
“Boats, my dear, boats! I’ve had to put in a sole. Didn’t you know my feet were so small? How do you like my cloak? It’s meant to look like a cloud. Layers of blue, pink and grey, ‘superimposed,’ as the fashion papers have it. Or should you say it was more like an opal?”
“No, I should not. Neither one nor the other. Considered as a cloak for a foggy November evening, I should call it a delusion and a fraud. You’ll get a chill. I’ve a Shetland shawl. I’ll lend it to you to wrap round your shoulders.”