“But Alexa and Josephine will not be at Bournemouth except for a week at Christmas,” said Mary. “They will be at school.”
“And Alexa is too young to go out at least for another year,” said Mrs Western.
“But there is Mary. You are not going to school again, are you, Mary?” said Mrs Greville, laughingly, turning to her.
“I almost wish I were!” she replied, “excepting that I should not like to leave mother. But I shall not go out at all, dear Mrs Greville, either at Bournemouth or in town. I don’t care for society.”
“How can you tell till you have tried?” said her friend.
“That’s just it. I don’t know anything at all about it, and I feel too old to get into the way of it.”
“Mary!” exclaimed Mrs Greville; “what an idea! At one-and-twenty,” and even Mrs Western looked slightly surprised.
“I can understand your thinking you will never care for things of the kind much, and I dare say you never will,” Mary’s mother observed. “But if not for your own, it may for others’ sakes—for your younger sisters’—be necessary for you to go a little into society.”
“Ah, well—not at present, any way, and possibly never,” said Mary. “Alexa would make a much better Miss Western than I.”
Mrs Greville smiled.