“If you must have scarlet heels,” said Annie Lee, “you can tear the satin off the heels of your black slippers and paint the wooden part red.”
“You do look perfectly scrumptious, Lily,” said Dolly; “there isn’t a thing wrong, and you’ve simply got to wear that costume.”
Lily, with her closed fan laid against her lips, gazed into the mirror, as if uncertain that the reflection that gazed back were really she, herself.
“I wish—” she began, and then broke off with a shame-faced, confused little smile.
Just then, Jane, who happened to glance out of the window to see how deep the snow was getting, remarked,
“There goes Mr. Sheridan. I wonder what on earth—”
“Where?” cried a chorus of voices in great excitement, and instantly every girl was at the window peering over each other’s shoulders, and fairly bursting with curiosity to see the eccentric young man, whose habits had for several weeks been the subject of much speculation in that busybody little town. Even Amelia forgot her dignity and scrambled to see him. Lily, only, tried to appear indifferent, but without complete success; for after a moment’s hesitation, she too was peeping out from behind the substantial Dolly.
The object of this flattering interest was sauntering along with his hands in his pockets, and his head bent; but presently, as if he felt the magnetism of all this concentrated attention, he looked up to the window. His expression of surprise,—even of indignation, as if he resented this notice from the “feminine element”—was almost instantly replaced by one of alertness. Jane beamed at him, and waved her hand, and he smiled back at her and lifted his hat; but, in that brief second—and Jane did not fail to note this—his eye travelled swiftly over the cluster of pretty faces, and with remarkable keenness, singled out Lily’s, and again he lifted his hat, and bowed slightly.
Jane turned quickly to see Lily blushing pink, and with an answering smile just fading from her eyes.
“Do you know him too?” she demanded. Lily pretended not to hear. Shrinking back, and pursing up her lips, she said primly,