dressing-jacket elaborately trimmed with lace, and Rose observed with a
little shock that there were holes in the heels of her stockings. It was
not quite such a shock as it would have been a fortnight ago. Rose had
discovered that Pauline was very careless about little matters of this
sort. On the bed was spread out her last new dress--a charming combination
of brown and gold, to be worn with a brown hat lined with yellow.

"Why, Pauline, you won't wear that dress this afternoon, will you?" asked
Rose, glancing at it. "It will get so crushed."

"My Rose, shall you be very disappointed? Madame Verney has asked me to go
with her. She had two tickets sent her, and Monsieur Verney had to go to
Paris this morning. I am going there to lunch. How I wish you were going
with me, darling! But I could not refuse when Madame Verney asked me,
could I? I might have offended her."

The tears had rushed into Rose's eyes, but she drove them back. "I daresay
Paderewski will play again before I go," she said. "And it was kind of
Madame Verney to ask you."

"Oh, as to kindness, she would have found it dull enough to go by herself,
and she knows nobody in London yet. But what do you mean about Paderewski
playing again, Rosie? You'll go and hear him this afternoon, won't you? I
never thought of your staying at home."

"I promised Aunt Lucy I would not go to a concert by myself," Rose
answered hastily. "I couldn't go, Pauline."

"But she meant in the evening, Rosie. She couldn't mind your going this
afternoon. Don't be a silly child. You'll spoil my pleasure if you stay at