Next morning, as Dora stood before the mirror, arranging her long,
luxuriant hair, which she usually wore in braids, hanging down her
back, Eugenia came up, and with an unusual degree of kindness in
her manner, offered to fix it for her, commenting the while on the
exceeding beauty of the rich auburn tresses, and saying, that if
she were in Dora's place she would have it _cut off,_ as by
this means she would, when grown up, have much handsomer hair than
if it were suffered to remain long. Dora remembered having heard
her mother say the same; but she had a pride in her hair, which
was longer and thicker than any of her companions'; so she said
nothing until Eugenia, who, to serve her own purpose, would not
hesitate to tell a falsehood, and who knew how much Dora admired
Mrs. Hastings, spoke of that lady's beautiful curls, saying they
were all the result of her having worn her hair quite short until
she was sixteen years of age. Then, indeed, Dora wavered. She had
recently suffered much from the headache, too, and it might
relieve that; so that when Eugenia offered her a coral bracelet in
exchange for her hair, she consented, and Alice entered the room
just as the last shining braid dropped upon the floor.
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