“The feud grows,” pursued Rose. “I know it by many signs. Prissie is not half so often with Maggie as she used to be. Maggie means to get out of this friendship, but she is too proud not to do it gradually. There is not a more jealous girl in this college than Maggie, but neither is there a prouder. Do you suppose that anything under the sun would allow her to show her feelings because that little upstart dared to raise her eyes to Maggie’s adorable beau, Mr. Hammond? But oh, she feels it; she feels it down in her secret soul. She hates Prissie; she hates this beautiful, handsome lover of hers for being civil to so commonplace a person. She is only waiting for a decent pretext to drop Prissie altogether. I wish with all my heart I could give her one.” As she spoke Rosalind shaded her eyes with her hand; her face looked full of sweet and thoughtful contemplation. “Get your charming Prissie to flirt a little bit more,” said Miss Day with her harsh laugh. “I don’t know that I can. I must not carry that brilliant idea to extremities, or I shall be found out.” “Well, what are you going to do?” “I don’t know. Bide my time.” Miss Day gave a listless sort of yawn. “Let’s talk of something else,” she said impatiently. “What are you going to wear at the Elliot-Smith’s party next week, Rose?” “I have got a new white dress,” said Rose in that voice of strong animation and interest which the mere mention of dress always arouses in certain people. “Have you? What a lot of dresses you get!” “Indeed, you are mistaken, Annie. I have the greatest difficulty in managing my wardrobe at all.” “Why is that? I thought your people not only belonged to the county, but were as rich as Jews.” “We are county people, of course,” said Rose in her most affected manner, “but county people need not invariably be rich. The fact is my father has had some losses lately, and mother says she must be careful. I wanted a great many things, and she said she simply could not give them. Oh, if only that spiteful Miss Oliphant had not prevented my getting the sealskin jacket, and if she had not raised the price of Polly’s pink coral!” “Don’t begin that old story again, Rose. When all is said and done, you have got the lovely coral. By the way, it will come in beautifully for the Elliot-Smith’s party. You’ll wear it, of course?” “Oh, I don’t know.” “What do you mean? Of course you’ll wear it.” “I don’t know. The fact is I have not paid the whole price for it yet.” “Haven’t you really? You said you’d bring the money when you returned this term.” “Of course I thought I could, but I was absolutely afraid to tell mother what a lot the coral cost; and as she was so woefully short of funds, I had just to come away without the money. I never for a moment supposed I should have such ill luck.” “It is awkward. What are you going to say to Polly Singleton?’ “I don’t know. I suppose you could not help me, Annie?”