I looked and saw the cunningest little sunshade, with its head tipped on one side, like a great blue morning glory. Never again shall I behold anything so beautiful. Queen Victoria's crown and Empress Eugenie's diamonds wouldn't compare with it for a moment. They say we feel most keenly those joys we never quite grasp; and I know that parasol, swinging round in Fel's little hand, was more bewitching to me than if I had held it myself. O, why wasn't it mine? I thought of Fel's coral necklace, and blue silk bonnet, and the white dress with needlework flowers, and now if she was going to have a parasol too, I might as well die and done with it.
"O, Marjie, Marjie!" cried she, dancing up to me with her sweet little face in a glow, "do you see what I've got?"
I never answered. I just lay there and kicked dirt with my shoe. The carryall was in front of us, and Madam Allen could not see how I behaved.
"Come, little daughter," called she, "jump in and ride home."
But Fel thought she would rather walk with me, for I hadn't noticed her parasol yet. So her mother drove off.
"Isn't it a teenty tonty beauty?" cried she, waving it before me.
I shut my teeth together and kicked.
"You haven't looked, Marjie; see what a teenty tonty beauty!"
She never could quite enjoy her pretty things till I had praised them. I knew that, and took a wicked pleasure in holding my tongue.
"Why, Marjie," said she, in a grieved tone, "why don't you look? It's the teenty tontiest beauty ever you saw."