"Miss Donnithorne," I said impulsively, "a birthday is _the_ day in the whole year. A birthday makes up for many very dismal days. On a birthday, when it comes, the sun shines and the world is beautiful. Oh, Miss Donnithorne, what would life be without birthdays?" I spoke with such emotion and earnestness that the little lady's face was quite impressed; there even came a sort of dimness over her eyes. "Then most of your days are dull, little Rachel?" she said. "They are lonely," I replied. "And yet you go to school; you have heaps of companions." "But no friends," I replied. "I wonder if Hermione Aldyce will suit you?" was her next remark. "Hermione Aldyce! What a queer name! And who is she?" "You will see her to-morrow. She is different from you, but there is no reason why you should not be friends. She is much the same age." "Is she coming here to-morrow?" "No; you are going to her. Her father and mother have invited us both to dine with them." "Oh!" I said. I looked down at my length of leg and at my ugly feet, and felt a little shiver going through my frame. Miss Donnithorne laid her hand on my arm. "I wonder, Dumps," she said, "if you are a very proud girl?" "Yes," I said, "I think I have plenty of pride." "But there are all sorts," said Miss Donnithorne. "I hate a girl who has none. I want a girl to be reasonable. I don't want her to eat the dust and to do absurd things, or to lower herself in her own eyes. I want a girl to be dignified, to hold her head high, to look straight out at the world with all the confidence and sweetness and fearlessness that a good girl ought to feel; but at the same time I want her to have the courage to take a kindness from one who means well without being angry or absurd." "What does all this mean?" I asked. "It means, my dear Dumps, that I have in my possession at the present moment a very pretty costume which you might exchange for the red blouse and brown skirt. I know a person in Chelmsford who would be charmed to possess that red blouse and brown skirt, and if you wore the costume I have now in my mind, why, you would look quite nice in it--in fact, very nice indeed. Will you wear it?" "What!" I answered; "give away the clothes father bought for me, and take yours?" "I could make it right with your father. Don't be a goose, Dumps. Your father only bought them because he didn't know what was suitable. Now, will you let me give you the costume that I have upstairs?" "But when did you get it?" "The fact is, I didn't get it. I have some clothes by me which belonged to a girl I was once very fond of. I will tell you about her another time." "A girl you were fond of--and you have her clothes, and would like me to wear them?" "Some of them would not fit you, but this costume would. Will you put it on to-morrow? Will you at least wear it to-morrow for my sake?"