'What is it?'
Miss Betty displayed her roll of muslin, on the free portion of which an elegant line of embroidery was slowly growing, multiplying and reproducing its white buds and leaves and twining shoots. Pitt regarded it with an unenlightened eye.
'I am as wise as I was before,' he said.
'Why, look here,' said the young lady, with a slight movement of her little foot calling his attention to the edge of her skirt, where a somewhat similar line of embroidery was visible. 'I am making a border for another gown.'
Pitt's eye went from the one embroidery to the other; he said nothing.
'You are not complimentary,' said Miss Frere.
'I am not yet sure that there is anything to compliment.'
The young lady gave him a full view of her fine eyes for half a second, or perhaps it was only that they took a good look at him.
'Don't you see,' she said, 'that it is economy, and thrift, and all the household virtues? Not having the money to buy trimming, I am manufacturing it.'
'And the gown must be trimmed?'