Whatever made you go, Maggie? You know you
have never mixed yourself up with that Day, and Merton, and Marsh set.
As to that poor Polly Singleton, there's no harm in her, but she's a
perfect madcap. What could have possessed you to go?"
"My evil genius," repeated Maggie in a gloomy tone. "You don't suppose
I wished to be there, Nancy; but that horrid little Merton girl said
something taunting, and then I forgot myself. Oh, dear, Nancy! what
shall I ever do with that other self of mine? It will ruin me in the
end. It gets stronger every day."
Maggie sat down on the sofa. Nancy suddenly knelt by her side.
"Dear Meg," she said caressingly, "you're the noblest, and the
sweetest, and the most beautiful girl at St. Benet's! Why can't you
live up to your true self?"
"There are two selfs in me," replied Maggie. "And if one even
approaches the faintest semblance of angel-hood, the other is black as
pitch. There, it only wastes time to talk the thing over. I'm in for
the sort of scrape I hate most. See, Nancy, I bought this at the
auction."
She opened her wardrobe, and taking out Polly Singleton's magnificent
eighty-guinea sealskin jacket, slipped it on.
"Don't I look superb?" said Maggie. She shut the wardrobe-door and
surveyed herself in its long glass.
Pages:
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171