“I have several nice dresses which I used to wear upon such occasions, but I fear they are hardly suitable for my position now,” Brownie replied, with heightened color, for the first time alluding to the change in her circumstances.
“Ah!” said the matron, in surprise, and pleased with this evidence of the governess’ modesty; then she added, patronizingly: “You have seen better days, I presume?”
“Yes, madam.”
“Well, I leave the matter to your own judgment, only do not wear black, nor white, for Alma will wear that. Indeed,” she added, after a moment’s thought, “if you have a nice dress, Miss Douglas, wear it, for, as we are all going together, I do not care how nicely our party appears.”
An amused smile curled her lips at the expression, “if you have a nice dress,” and when the door closed after Mrs. Coolidge, she laughed outright.
Evidently she thought if the governess had seen better days, they could not have been very remarkable ones.
She crossed the room, and opened the trunk in which she had packed the richer portion of her clothing, and took out her evening dresses.
The decision was a difficult matter, and it was more than an hour before she could make up her mind which one of those beautiful garments it would do to wear.
She had no desire to outshine Miss Isabel.
But that young lady, with all her love for show and fashion, had nothing more elegant than Brownie’s own wardrobe contained.