I found it hard to tell her to take the dress off
again.
"Is it wrong?" she asked Nvith a pucker of her baby lips.
"Yes, indeed," said I. "People would be shocked."
"But on Saturday evening--"she began.
"I know, my child," I interrupted. "In society you are scarcely
respectable unless you go about half naked at night; but to do so
in the daytime would be the grossest indecency. I'll explain
some other time."
"I shall never understand," said Carlotta.
Two great tears stood, one on each eyelid, and fell
simultaneously down her cheeks.
"What on earth are you crying for?" I asked aghast.
"You are not pleased with me," said Carlotta, with a choke in her
voice.
The two tears fell like rain-drops on to her bosom, and she stood
before me a picture of exquisite woe. Then I did a very foolish
thing.
Last week a little gold brooch in a jeweller's window caught my
fancy. I bought it with the idea of presenting it to Carlotta,
when an occasion offered, as a reward for peculiar merit. Now,
however, to show her that I was in no way angry, I abstracted the
bauble from the drawer of my writing-table, and put it in her
hand.
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