"No," said Molly, hesitatingly. She did not wish to make herself into
a hard judge, and yet she did so dislike Mr. Preston. Cynthia went
on,--
"Well, what with boots and gloves, and a bonnet and a mantle, and a
white muslin gown, which was made for me before I left on Tuesday,
and a silk gown that followed to the Donaldsons', and my journeys,
and all, there was very little left of the twenty pounds, especially
when I found I must get a ball-dress in Worcester, for we were all
to go to the Ball. Mrs. Donaldson gave me my ticket, but she rather
looked grave at my idea of going to the Ball in my white muslin,
which I had already worn two evenings at their house. Oh dear! how
pleasant it must be to be rich! You know," continued Cynthia, smiling
a very little, "I can't help being aware that I'm pretty, and that
people admire me very much. I found it out first at the Donaldsons'.
I began to think I did look pretty in my fine new clothes, and I saw
that other people thought so too. I was certainly the belle of the
house, and it was very pleasant to feel my power. The last day or
two of that gay week Mr. Preston joined our party. The last time he
had seen me was when I was dressed in shabby clothes too small for
me, half-crying in my solitude, neglected and penniless. At the
Donaldsons' I was a little queen; and as I said, fine feathers make
fine birds, and all the people were making much of me; and at that
Ball, which was the first night he came, I had more partners than I
knew what to do with. I suppose he really did fall in love with me
then. I don't think he had done so before. And then I began to feel
how awkward it was to be in his debt. I couldn't give myself airs to
him as I did to others. Oh! it was so awkward and uncomfortable! But
I liked him, and felt him as a friend all the time. The last day I
was walking in the garden along with the others, and I thought I
would tell him how much I had enjoyed myself, and how happy I had
been, all thanks to his twenty pounds (I was beginning to feel like
Cinderella when the clock was striking twelve), and to tell him it
should be repaid to him as soon as possible, though I turned sick
at the thought of telling mamma, and knew enough of our affairs to
understand how very difficult it would be to muster up the money. The
end of our talk came very soon; for, almost to my terror, he began to
talk violent love to me, and to beg me to promise to marry him. I was
so frightened, that I ran away to the others. But that night I got
a letter from him, apologizing for startling me, renewing his offer,
his entreaties for a promise of marriage, to be fulfilled at any date
I would please to name--in fact, a most urgent love-letter, and in
it a reference to my unlucky debt, which was to be a debt no longer,
only an advance of the money to be hereafter mine if only-- You can
fancy it all, Molly, better than I can remember it to tell it you."