' Poor
old dad! He was as proud as Punch of me in that jacket. I never saw
anything like it."
"Well, he can be as proud as Punch of you again. Here is the jacket
for your very own once more. Good night."
She walked to the door, but Miss Singleton ran after her.
"I can't take it back," she said. "I'm not as mean as all that comes
to. It's yours now; you got it as fair as possible."
"Listen, Miss Singleton," said Maggie. "If I keep that jacket I shall
never wear it. I detest sealskin jackets. It won't be the least scrap
of use to me."
"You detest sealskin jackets? How can you? Oh, the lovely things they
are. Let me stroke the beauty down."
"Stroke your beauty and pet it as much as you like, only let me say
'Good night' now."
"But, please, Miss Oliphant, please, I'd do anything in the world to
get the jacket back, of course. But I've ten guineas of yours, and
honestly I can't pay them back."
"Allow me to lend them to you until next term. You can return me the
money then, can you not?"
Polly's face became on the instant a show of shining eyes, gleaming
white teeth and glowing cheeks.
"Of course I could pay you back, you-- darling," she said with
enthusiasm. "Oh, what a relief this is to me; I'd have done anything
in all the world to have my jacket back again.
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